Coast Starlight discussion

[zephyr17]

They were busing around the flood. Some people missed connections to the Southwest Chief because of delays with the buses, but you should have more buffer to the Sunset Limited.

The Sunset's LA departure has been temporarily moved back to 7:30 pm for trackwork. It is set to resume its normal 10:00 pm departure on May 10th. The connection from the Starlight was cut for the duration of the schedule change. The connection returns for the Sunset's first "normal" departure on May 10th.

The current Sunset departure time of 7:30 pm does have 1:35 more leeway than the 5:55 pm departure of the SW Chief for a San Joaquin/Thruway connection.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The Sunset's LA departure has been temporarily moved back to 7:30 pm for trackwork. It is set to resume its normal 10:00 pm departure on May 10th. The connection from the Starlight was cut for the duration of the schedule change. The connection returns for the Sunset's first "normal" departure on May 10th.

The current Sunset departure time of 7:30 pm does have 1:35 more leeway than the 5:55 pm departure of the SW Chief for a San Joaquin/Thruway connection.

Doesn't look like there will be any San Joaquin Trains ( or LA to Seattle Starlights)making the Bakersfield connection to LA for at least awhile, till the current Monsoon Season is over!

 

[asherman93]

So… can we assume that the Coast Starlight is doing Tehachapi detours right now?
Because I really wanna do that.

 

[allanorn]

So… can we assume that the Coast Starlight is doing Tehachapi detours right now?
Because I really wanna do that.

No. CS is doing the coastal route. Some San Joaquin services weren't even running south of Fresno this week due to track washouts between Fresno and Bakersfield.

You're more likely to take a bus and Surfliner routing if the CS isn't running south of EMY.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

No. CS is doing the coastal route. Some San Joaquin services weren't even running south of Fresno this week due to track washouts between Fresno and Bakersfield.

You're more likely to take a bus and Surfliner routing if the CS isn't running south of EMY.

That is if the buses can get through. I saw where the Route 6 bus (which I'll be taking to get to Stockton in April) was cancelled till TBD due to Hwy 17 being closed. I haven't check today if it's still cancelled

 

[asherman93]

No. CS is doing the coastal route. Some San Joaquin services weren't even running south of Fresno this week due to track washouts between Fresno and Bakersfield.

You're more likely to take a bus and Surfliner routing if the CS isn't running south of EMY.

Ah.
I was thinking of taking a train trip this month to clear my head and was wondering when the next Coast Starlight detour might be so I could cross that off my rail bucket list.

 

[desertflyer]

Although I'm straying off topic, this is what the San Joaquins looked like north of Bakersfield last Friday. We've had more rain since then.



This is because some of the waterway banks in Tulare County have either failed or been tampered with. They've been repairing them for 5 days now, and are even using helicopters in the repairs. It's pretty wild stuff.


Back to the Starlight, the levee near Parajo/Watsonville has been repaired, so unless something else happens, the CS is running the full coast route. I think one of the big concerns right now is the erosion between SLO and SBA, which is actively being shored up but who knows. Another big, high intensity storm is coming for California next week.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Although I'm straying off topic, this is what the San Joaquins looked like north of Bakersfield last Friday. We've had more rain since then.



This is because some of the waterway banks in Tulare County have either failed or been tampered with. They've been repairing them for 5 days now, and are even using helicopters in the repairs. It's pretty wild stuff.


Back to the Starlight, the levee near Parajo/Watsonville has been repaired, so unless something else happens, the CS is running the full coast route. I think one of the big concerns right now is the erosion between SLO and SBA, which is actively being shored up but who knows. Another big, high intensity storm is coming for California next week.

Thanks for the updates. I will, hopefully, be taking the San Joaquins (bus-train-bus) in 3 weeks from San Jose to LA.

 

[flitcraft]

Those photos are shocking! Has the area applied for federal disaster funds? It looks like a disaster to me, anyway.

 

[fordt]

I’m hoping to book the whole Coast Starlight trip out of LA next February for an anniversary. I’ll get a bedroom, and current schedules show 0% booked this far out (pricey but when else are you gonna do it!). Is there any way to determine side of the train you’re booking on going north? Seems like looking out at the coast/ocean would be a perk, and reading several threads do mention that coming in to Portland/Seattle the opposite side would be advantageous for the mountains that we could enjoy through the view cab? If the sleeper cars can get turned around for travel regardless, I guess there’s no way to guarantee the coast side for your bedroom going north? Still researching and searching threads-thanks!

 

[zephyr17]

I’m hoping to book the whole Coast Starlight trip out of LA next February for an anniversary. I’ll get a bedroom, and current schedules show 0% booked this far out (pricey but when else are you gonna do it!). Is there any way to determine side of the train you’re booking on going north? Seems like looking out at the coast/ocean would be a perk, and reading several threads do mention that coming in to Portland/Seattle the opposite side would be advantageous for the mountains that we could enjoy through the view cab? If the sleeper cars can get turned around for travel regardless, I guess there’s no way to guarantee the coast side for your bedroom going north? Still researching and searching threads-thanks!

No, there is not. Superliner sleepers are designed to run either end forward and do. They are switched into consists whichever way they are already facing.

I ride the Starlight fairly frequently and often the sleepers on the same consist are oriented in opposite directions (roomette end coupled to roomette end or bedroom end couple to bedroom end).

The entire consist is turned at the terminals. No Amtrak long distance train operates push-pull.

Another couple of pointers:

The % booked shown on the website represents coach capacity only. It doesn't include and indicates nothing meaningful about sleepers.

Booking very early used to pretty much guarantee a low bucket fare. That has not been true for several years now. Amtrak has gotten more sophisticated and much more aggressive in their yield management practices. Now booking really early pretty much means high bucket fares guaranteed. Now when inventory is released for sale at 11 months they will usually allocate it all only to the highest buckets. Several months later, they will review sales and projections and may reallocate some inventory to lower buckets at that time. Getting a good sleeper fare is not a matter of simply booking early any longer. Booking in March or April for a February trip is not going to get you a good price, quite the opposite in fact.

 

[joelkfla]

Booking very early used to pretty much guarantee a low bucket fare. That has not been true for several years now. Amtrak has gotten more sophisticated and much more aggressive in their yield management practices. Now booking really early pretty much means high bucket fares guaranteed. Now when inventory is released for sale at 11 months they will usually allocate it all only to the highest buckets. Several months later, they will review sales and projections and may reallocate some inventory to lower buckets at that time. Getting a good sleeper fare is not a matter of simply booking early any longer. Booking in March or April for a February trip is not going to get you a good price, quite the opposite in fact.

This roused my curiosity. I checked Roomettes on several routes for the 1st Sunday next February. CS is indeed in the High bucket, as is CZ, but SWC is in Middle bucket, and both Silvers are in the Low bucket. So apparently it's not true for all routes that they are loaded at the High bucket.

Then I checked fares on the CS for one Sunday in each month, avoiding holiday weekends. The lowest fare I found was $606, which is Low Middle, and that was available in Nov., Dec., & Jan. At the moment, lowest CS Roomettes are 7-9 months out.

 

[susanlindsey]

April 14 Coast Starlight, number 11 train, cancelled due to landslides. No alternative travel offered. Pieced together a flight and a rental car to get from Seattle to Los Angeles.

 

[allanorn]

April 14 Coast Starlight, number 11 train, cancelled due to landslides. No alternative travel offered. Pieced together a flight and a rental car to get from Seattle to Los Angeles.

Oof.

I heard there was a landslide along the tracks in Washington State that suspended the Cascades, but they were apparently turning the CS at PDX.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-rev...tle-portland-cascades-service-through-friday/

 

[trimetbusfan]

April 14 Coast Starlight, number 11 train, cancelled due to landslides. No alternative travel offered. Pieced together a flight and a rental car to get from Seattle to Los Angeles.

I’m pretty sure it’s running btwn Portland and LA… no service btwn Portland and Seattle. Glad you found an alternative route tho.

 

[sitzplatz17]

I did just see a CS set leave King Street station right around the usual departure time of 9:50am, but perhaps it was just headed back to the yard? Don't see anything on the tracker either, unless the set is moving empty down to Portland? Charger #320 was leading.

 

[trimetbusfan]

I did just see a CS set leave King Street station right around the usual departure time of 9:50am, but perhaps it was just headed back to the yard? Don't see anything on the tracker either, unless the set is moving empty down to Portland? Charger #320 was leading.

Yes,
The tracks are open for freight, but not passenger trains. So they have been deadheading the equipment (without passengers) between SEA and PDX.

 

[StanJazz]

As expected, I was contacted by Amtrak today that my business class seat between LA and SF was changed to coach. The trip in in June.

 

[trimetbusfan]

Looks like they have changed the positioning of the Starlight consist a little bit. For the longest time, the sleepers were always at the front of the train with coaches at the back.

14(6) and 11(7) (and maybe others) are running a ‘reversed’ consist with coaches at the front and sleepers at the back.

The conductor suggested this is an intentional decision by management because of complaints from employees about exhaust fumes in the crew car (which normally was the first car on the train).

This is a pretty minor change for most riders but long time riders might find it interesting. I guess we’ll see if this consist persists in the long run…

 

[Willbridge]

As expected, I was contacted by Amtrak today that my business class seat between LA and SF was changed to coach. The trip in in June.

I haven't been contacted yet for Train 14 in mid-June.

 

[zephyr17]

Looks like they have changed the positioning of the Starlight consist a little bit. For the longest time, the sleepers were always at the front of the train with coaches at the back.

14(6) and 11(7) (and maybe others) are running a ‘reversed’ consist with coaches at the front and sleepers at the back.

The conductor suggested this is an intentional decision by management because of complaints from employees about exhaust fumes in the crew car (which normally was the first car on the train).

This is a pretty minor change for most riders but long time riders might find it interesting. I guess we’ll see if this consist persists in the long run…

Last time I saw the Starlight it wasn't running a transdorm, if there were, fumes wouldn't be an issue. No upper door for fumes to leak in through. Before the current ongoing and seemingly endless equipment cluster coitus, trains that didn't have transdorms had a solid (plastic? rubber?) endcap over the forward upper door of the first car. Since they are now running a lot more trains without transdorms, my guess is either they don't have enough to go around or Amtrak is experiencing yet more institutional memory loss.

If the conductor is right, I find it interesting that their concern was about the employees and no thought apparently had been given to the revenue passengers in those cars.

 

[zephyr17]

I haven't been contacted yet for Train 14 in mid-June.

Well, check your reservation on the app. The QR code disappearing on the app indicating a messed up reservation seems to often appear long before a notification email does.

 

[John Santos]

One of the benefits of the new Charger locomotives (they claim) is much less pollution. Less particulates and less noxious gases in the exhaust. I wonder if this makes a noticeable difference to passengers?

 

[trimetbusfan]

Last time I saw the Starlight it wasn't running a transdorm, if there were, fumes wouldn't be an issue. No upper door for fumes to leak in through. Before the current ongoing and seemingly endless equipment cluster coitus, trains that didn't have transdorms had a solid (plastic? rubber?) endcap over the forward upper door of the first car. Since they are now running a lot more trains without transdorms, my guess is either they don't have enough to go around or Amtrak is experiencing yet more institutional memory loss.

If the conductor is right, I find it interesting that their concern was about the employees and no thought apparently had been given to the revenue passengers in those cars.

I have heard passengers complain about this issue too (via posts on Facebook), but my guess is it is easier for employees to make a formal complaint with the company since they work there..

You are correct, yes, they are supposed to run with an end cap on the front door. And yes, this issue would also be solved if a baggage car and/or transform were on the consist. But, the rumor is those won't be returning any time soon either.

Of course, the irony is, what is preventing the same issue to persist in the first coach on the train? That coach can seat double to triple the capacity of a sleeper car, affecting more riders.

Luckily, now the ALC42 engines are becoming more and more common on the starlight, and my guess is these emit fewer fumes because of stricter environmental regulations.

 

[zephyr17]

I have heard passengers complain about this issue too (via posts on Facebook), but my guess is it is easier for employees to make a formal complaint with the company since they work there..

You are correct, yes, they are supposed to run with an end cap on the front door. And yes, this issue would also be solved if a baggage car and/or transform were on the consist. But, the rumor is those won't be returning any time soon either.

Of course, the irony is, what is preventing the same issue to persist in the first coach on the train? That coach can seat double to triple the capacity of a sleeper car, effecting more riders.

Luckily, now the ALC42 engines are becoming more and more common on the starlight, and my guess is these emit fewer fumes because of stricter environmental regulations.

Well, I think the answer to is in your post about it. Employees don't ride in the first coach and certainly don't sleep in it. Revenue passengers appear to be of no concern.

They may emit fewer fumes, but I still doubt it would be healthy to be directly sucking in even "clean" diesel exhaust.