BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Amtrak riders traveling from Bakersfield to Southern California can now skip needing train tickets to "bus-only" destinations.

Passengers will be able to travel from Bakersfield to Santa Monica or to San Bernandino. It's part of state legislation, SB 742 authored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), which was passed in 2019 removing the requirement for intercity passenger rail/thruway bus services to sell companion rail tickets.

To check for available “bus-only” destinations along the Thruway Bus routes and the associated fares, click here.

“We are pleased to be rolling out this next stage of increased accessibility for our Thruway Bus network,” said David Lipari, Marketing Manager for the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. “Our focus is on making travel on Amtrak San Joaquins as convenient as possible, which means ensuring that potential riders can use our network for trips near or far, and with or without train connections.”