On Tuesday, August 15th, 2023, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) Santa Paula Branch Line (SPBL) Advisory Committee hosted a meeting at Fillmore’s City Hall from 6pm to 7:30pm. The SPBL extends for 32 miles from the East Ventura / Montalvo train station, through the Cities of Ventura, Santa Paula, and Fillmore, to the unincorporated community of Piru, with 29 miles of active track. Originally built in 1887 by the Southern Pacific railroad, the SPBL remains an active short line railroad with freight, tourist and excursion, film and television, and research and development rail operations. VCTC acquired the SPBL railroad in 1995 for use as a multimodal corridor, including freight rail, bicycle and hiking trail, pipelines and utilities, recreational parks, and to preserve the corridor for possible future commuter rail service. Last night's meeting was to provide information as well as answer any questions citizens may have about their overall plans. The next meeting is scheduled for 9am Friday, September 8th, 2023. For more information, please contact spbl@goventura.org or visit https://www.goventura.org/getting-around/spbl/. Photo credit Angel Esquivel-AE News.