#5 to #14 connect in EMY instead of SAC?

[NativeSon5859]

Does anyone know if this is possible on a single ticket? I know it's not a published connection, but it would be a nice option to avoid the long layover in SAC. Just wondering if the good folks at AGR could make this happen or not.

 

[CHamilton]

Unfortunately not. If you want to connect anywhere beyond SAC (for which I don't blame you) the two segments must be reserved separately.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Does anyone know if this is possible on a single ticket? I know it's not a published connection, but it would be a nice option to avoid the long layover in SAC. Just wondering if the good folks at AGR could make this happen or not.

We've had this thread several times on AU! The short answer is No!
AGR used to allow it, but no mas!

Work arounds include getting off in SAC, Paying for a Cap Corridor Coach ticket to/from ( since #5 is Discharge only from SAC to Emeryville) Davis, Martinez or Emeryville! You could then ride the Cap Corridor train back to SAC to catch the CS#14 @ Midnight or buy a Coach ticket on #14 to SAC from EMY or DAV and probably occupy your room.in the sleeper, if its unoccupied!( ask the SCA and Conductor when you board)

Davis is the most interesting of the three to do a few hours layover, but advantages to getting off in SAC include the Great California Rail Museum by the Station(closes @ 5pm), Old Sacramento on the River besides the Rail Museum ( tourist area with stores, bars, cafes, River Walk etc. Worth a look!)

The SAC station is not that comfortable ( its under renovation), no AC etc. But its safe! You can also ride the Light Rail from the Station to do a little sight seeing thru downtown past the State Capitol and into the burbs!

Google up previous threads here on AU about this, plenty of info about this very topic!

 

[NativeSon5859]

Thanks guys. That's what I figured, but just wanted to see if anyone had any luck with it.

 

[the_traveler]

Work arounds include getting off in SAC, Paying for a Cap Corridor Coach ticket to/from ( since #5 is Discharge only from SAC to Emeryville) Davis, Martinez or Emeryville! You could then ride the Cap Corridor train back to SAC to catch the CS#14 @ Midnight!

Jim is correct as far as #5, but you can buy a ticket from EMY, MTZ or DAV (or even OKJ or SJC) to SAC on #14. If the room is ready, I bet you can occupy it even with a coach ticket!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Work arounds include getting off in SAC, Paying for a Cap Corridor Coach ticket to/from ( since #5 is Discharge only from SAC to Emeryville) Davis, Martinez or Emeryville! You could then ride the Cap Corridor train back to SAC to catch the CS#14 @ Midnight!

Jim is correct as far as #5, but you can buy a ticket from EMY, MTZ or DAV (or even OKJ or SJC) to SAC on #14. If the room is ready, I bet you can occupy it even with a coach ticket!

Edited: what the traveler suggested is correct!

 

[the_traveler]

That's true only if the trips overlap. (Say BOS-PHL and NYP-WAS.) Don't we book awards say NYP-ELP and then ELP-PDX, both on the SL? :huh: So EMY-SAC and SAC-PDX both on the CS will be good.

 

[tp49]

Does anyone know if this is possible on a single ticket? I know it's not a published connection, but it would be a nice option to avoid the long layover in SAC. Just wondering if the good folks at AGR could make this happen or not.

We've had this thread several times on AU! The short answer is No!
AGR used to allow it, but no mas!

Work arounds include getting off in SAC, Paying for a Cap Corridor Coach ticket to/from ( since #5 is Discharge only from SAC to Emeryville) Davis, Martinez or Emeryville! You could then ride the Cap Corridor train back to SAC to catch the CS#14 @ Midnight or buy a Coach ticket on #14 to SAC from EMY or DAV and probably occupy your room.in the sleeper, if its unoccupied!( ask the SCA and Conductor when you board)

Davis is the most interesting of the three to do a few hours layover, but advantages to getting off in SAC include the Great California Rail Museum by the Station(closes @ 5pm), Old Sacramento on the River besides the Rail Museum ( tourist area with stores, bars, cafes, River Walk etc. Worth a look!)

The SAC station is not that comfortable ( its under renovation), no AC etc. But its safe! You can also ride the Light Rail from the Station to do a little sight seeing thru downtown past the State Capitol and into the burbs!

Google up previous threads here on AU about this, plenty of info about this very topic!

Why not do both. Get off in SAC for a bit, see the CSRM then take a CC train the one stop over to DAV to wait for 14. This way you get the best of both worlds.

...and then I saw why this might not be possible.

 

[amamba]

I sincerely enjoyed my dawn/early morning walk/adventure through SAC. I haven't spent a ton of time in California and I loved seeing the palm trees and the flowers in the spring while my home was still suffering through winter.

You can read about it here: http://trainsacrossamerica.blogspot.com/2014/03/sacramento.html

 

[tomfuller]

NativeSon5859, If its worth $38 to you and the weather is good, You can take the #543 out of SAC at 3:35PM and be in Martinez about an hour later. Stick around MTZ until the #546 leaves at 9:09PM returning to SAC about an hour later. Stay in the station until the boarding call for the CS. You should be track side no later than 11:45PM unless the CS is running late.

You can check bags at the SAC baggage counter.

Thank you amamba for the tip on breakfast at the Fox & Goose since my next visit will be on a Monday morning when Jim Denny's is closed.

 

[SteveSFL]

Thanks for the report, amamba. I will be doing that same connection a week from Monday. I have thought about getting a coach ticket to stay on the Starlight for an extra stop or two, but I keep thinking about what happens if the train hits a trespasser between stations and I watch helplessly as the eastbound Zephyr passes by while waiting for the investigation to be completed.

 

[tomfuller]

Steve, if you don't want to see the state capitol and have breakfast at the Fox & Goose, you can continue on to Davis. There is a Black Bear Diner within walking distance of the Davis station.

 

[SteveSFL]

I guess if I decide to do this, the most convenient thing to do would be to just stay on the starlight and get an eticket on my iPhone. I would like to use money from a voucher I have, but that would require either getting off in sac and going to the ticket window or getting the ticket in sea or pdx and risking not using it because of a late train.

I thought about the convenience of dropping my small carryon at the baggage storage in sac, but then I'd have to take a cap corridor back to sac to get my bag rather than just hopping on the zephyr early.

 

[amamba]

Thanks for the report, amamba. I will be doing that same connection a week from Monday. I have thought about getting a coach ticket to stay on the Starlight for an extra stop or two, but I keep thinking about what happens if the train hits a trespasser between stations and I watch helplessly as the eastbound Zephyr passes by while waiting for the investigation to be completed.

That is why I just stuck with the SAC connection. I am an anxious traveler and I would have been paralyzed with fear about somehow missing the connection to the Zephyr. So I made the best of SAC. But I totally understand why others might want to go to MTZ or DAV instead.

 

[winterskigirl]

I'll be riding the CZ #5 next weekend myself and wanted to connect on the CS #14 in Emeryville. As you all have stated. AGR won't allow this. I tried over the phone and even emailed AGR. I got this "canned" response. They're about as flexible as any other part of Amtrak operations. So much for caring about improving customer service :angry:

Thank you for contacting the Amtrak Guest Rewards Service Center.

We apologize for the delay in our response. Currently we are experiencing a higher than normal volume. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

We are sorry you are not happy with our policy. Our terms and conditions state: A travel itinerary for a single redemption must follow a published route between the initial origin and final destination. A published route is an itinerary automatically generated by Amtrak's reservation system.

We have forwarded your email to the appropriate department regarding the route in Emeryville.

Your concern will be documented for future review. Amtrak Guest Rewards is an active program which is constantly being evaluated and evolved to address the needs of Amtrak and our members.

We thank you for being a valued Amtrak Guest Rewards member.

 

[amamba]

My understanding is that the train operations folks won't add it as a published route, and thus it fits within the rules of only allowing published route redemptions.

BTW, they NEVER used to allow an Emeryville connect. They used to allow an MTZ or Davis connection, although I can't recall of any being granted post 2014 or so.

I understand why it is not allowed - too much opportunity for error and they want you on a guaranteed connection. If you want to risk it, go ahead and book one way tickets and enjoy the day.

 

[Bob Dylan]

amamba: AGR DID used to allow a connection in EMY between #5 and #14,and #11 and #6, I did it several times, last in 2012 after the Seattle Gathering!

I may have been among the last ones allowed to do it before the policy change!?

 

[amamba]

Thanks for clearing that up jim, sorry for misremembering!

 

[Misty.]

Hmm... It *is* really starting to look like we were among the last handful of people to be allowed that connection, huh, Jim?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hmm... It *is* really starting to look like we were among the last handful of people to be allowed that connection, huh, Jim?

That's right Misty, I'd forgotten you were on the trains from SEA-SPI with me on the way home from the Gathering!

 

[D.P. Roberts]

Work arounds include getting off in SAC, Paying for a Cap Corridor Coach ticket to/from ( since #5 is Discharge only from SAC to Emeryville) Davis, Martinez or Emeryville! You could then ride the Cap Corridor train back to SAC to catch the CS#14 @ Midnight!

Jim is correct as far as #5, but you can buy a ticket from EMY, MTZ or DAV (or even OKJ or SJC) to SAC on #14. If the room is ready, I bet you can occupy it even with a coach ticket!

Has anyone ever tried this? I just booked this connection (5 to 14 in a roomette) and forgot to ask about a layover in Davis instead of SAC, but it sounds like they would have said no anyway. Assuming I buy a Capitol Corridor ticket to Davis, leave my luggage in the Davis station while we walk around for a while & eat dinner, and then a coach ticket on 14 from Davis to SAC, what are the odds that the conductor/SCA will let me into my roomette at Davis? Since it will be midnight or later, I really don't want to have to sit in coach for half an hour waiting until SAC to get to bed.

 

[lstone19]

We did 5 to 14 in June (and posted about it in another topic). On 5, I planned to talk to the RNO-EMY conductor to discuss options such as buy a RSV-EMY ticket, buy a Cap Corridor ticket (but I didn't think he could take that on 5), or something else. In the end, it was "something else" - just stay in our Bedroom to EMY.

For the return, we had purchased OKJ-SAC (we were having dinner with friends at Jack London Square so return from OKJ made more sense) on 14. Train stopped with our SAC-SEA sleeper right out the door so asked there first (conductor was up there so it was one-stop asking). Room wasn't ready but we were told to leave our bags in the rack and then go sit in the PPC. We were in the room and getting ready for bed around MTZ. Conductor pulled all tickets at OKJ so we weren't disturbed at SAC.