OCEANSIDE ---- Hopping Amtrak's Surfliner trains is a popular new choice for Coaster rail commuters.

"You remember that gum commercial where they said, 'Double your pleasure, double your fun'? Well that appears to be what Rail 2 Rail is doing," said Ed Kasparik, manager of commuter rail service for the North County Transit District.

Rail 2 Rail ---- the district's newest six-month trial program ---- allows Coaster train commuters who purchase a monthly pass to ride Amtrak trains for no additional cost whenever there is a seat available.

The new program is a hit, according to district officials.

In April, 2,513 riders hopped an Amtrak train rather than waiting for a Coaster to arrive.

Kasparik said the popularity of the new program has been surprising because the long-distance Amtrak trains stop at only three locations: Oceanside, Solana Beach and the Santa Fe Station in downtown San Diego.

Carlsbad, which has two Coaster stations, and Encinitas are very popular among Coaster commuters, but get passed over by Amtrak. Likewise, many North County Coaster riders get off at the Sorrento Valley station, which is also absent from Amtrak's list.

"We really weren't sure how useful it was going to be for people in a corridor that's so short," Kasparik said.

After exiting a Coaster train at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Ricardo Warner said he has used Rail 2 Rail once already.

"It was a great, great, great thing," Warner said.

Since 1997, Warner has ridden the rail to and from his job at the Veterans Hospital in La Jolla. Warner said he appreciates the ability to use his $130 monthly pass on days and times when the Coaster doesn't run, such as Sundays.

"I was excited when I heard about being able to take Amtrak, but I was a little disappointed when I heard they were only doing it for six months," Warner said. "It should definitely be continued indefinitely."

Train schedules

A glance at the train schedule shows how Rail 2 Rail makes commuting more flexible.

Between 7:57 and 11:34 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, Amtrak offers four southbound trains that leave 10 minutes to an hour later than corresponding Coasters. In the evening, Amtrak offers seven northbound trains, including three in the early evening in between early- and late-evening Coaster routes.

Amtrak also offers more robust weekend service with 12 trains running each day. By comparison, four Coasters run only on Saturday, and none of them run on Sunday.

The demonstration project is sponsored by the California Department of Transportation rail project for six months.

"It's a six-month experiment, this is only the first month, but we're hopeful that early trends continue," said Caltrans manager Eric Schatmeier. "We'll be watching it very closely."

He noted that a similar program between the Metrolink commuter rail service, which runs from Riverside south to Oceanside, has been very successful in "eliminating the artificial barriers between intercity rail and commuter rail."

He said the local Rail 2 Rail program's greatest indicator of potential lasting success is yet to come.

"The real test will be if, as happened with Metrolink, monthly Coaster ticket sales increase," Schatmeier said.

According to transit reports, ticket vending-machine figures show that sales actually decreased from 1,603 in April 2003 to 1,361 in April 2004. That number is down significantly from March 2004 when the district sold 1,988 monthly passes. However, 130,612 trips were taken on the Coaster in April, nearly breaking the all-time record of 136,912 set in March.

Tom Kelleher, a spokesman for the Transit District, said it's too soon to understand why overall ridership is up, monthly pass sales are down and Rail 2 Rail is coming on strong.

"Maybe we need more months of data to go on," Kelleher said.

Tyrone Matthews, an attorney with Liberty Mutual in downtown San Diego, said that his fellow Coaster riders have already begun to buzz about Rail 2 Rail. Matthews, who lives in Oceanside, said he has been riding the train since April 1998.

"We all get to know each other pretty well. We call it the adult school bus," Matthews said. "It doesn't surprise me at all that the Rail 2 Rail thing is popular. I plan to use it myself soon."

Contact staff writer Paul Sisson at (760) 901-4087 or psisson@nctimes.com.