Coast Starlight discussion

[trimetbusfan]

What's with the Coast Starlight? It doesn't seem to be running every day but I can't find any details on the Amtrak site. For instance, there was no departure from LA this morning.

It’s only been running from Emeryville - Seattle for the past few days

 

[Yumacool]

I was in San Luis Obispo yesterday and stopped by the depot where I spoke with an Amtrak agent. He has not seen any photos so could not explain the extent of the damage, but he said a bridge was out hear Lompoc/Surf. Union Pacific will repair it but he did not know how much time it would take. Maybe one week, maybe more. Anyone know?

 

[GDRRiley]

I was in San Luis Obispo yesterday and stopped by the depot where I spoke with an Amtrak agent. He has not seen any photos so could not explain the extent of the damage, but he said a bridge was out hear Lompoc/Surf. Union Pacific will repair it but he did not know how much time it would take. Maybe one week, maybe more. Anyone know?

Honda bridge is damaged it was on the list to get replaced and the state already has 20m of the expected 30m set aside for its replacement
Cuesta grade I heard was having fun with mud.
I belive there are 1-2 other bridge issues north of SLO.
UP tossing work trains at the problem areas from the north and the south

I suspect it could be a month or more till the line gets open. UP isn't in a crazy rush because for them its just a backup line

 

[mackinaw chief]

I would not count on the Starlight between EMY and LAX. The problem is a bridge on the property of the USAF Vandenburgh base.. UP is having difficulties stablizing it . UP ETC is end of month.Thinking on how much trouble that the route to San Diego keeps getting pushed on now to end of March. Saw pictures on another site about a very long UP RIP RAP train heading toward the bridge.

The Santa Ynez river that the bridge spans has a rather large draiage basin west of Bradberry dam and resivoir near Santa Ynez town so flood rain water may have underscored one or more of the foundations. The Neverland amusement park & trains, train garage believe is also in that drainage basin.

EDIT - Problem --- UP may have to wait as Bradbury dam is having to release water. That may make repairs to bridge needing to wait until discharge is complete.

https://www.independent.com/2023/01/14/cachuma-fills-and-flood-gates-to-open/

So I guess all LAX connection passengers will have to take Zephyr to CHI or be trained on the San Joaquin to Bakersfield and bused to LAX . with no additional segments taken from rail pass?

 

[mackinaw chief]

Alert to all passengers on the coast starlight going to LAX. I just booked my rail pass and I can confirm the segment gouging by Amtrak trying to charge you 4 segments almost half a rail pass to go from PDX-LAX. Routing goes like this.
11 PDX-SAC.
Thruway SAC to STC.
San Joaquin ftom STC to BFD.
Thruway ftom BFD to LAX.

Those segments should only be 0.25 a segment out of customer service. Anyone agree with that?

 

[joelkfla]

Alert to all passengers on the coast starlight going to LAX. I just booked my rail pass and I can confirm the segment gouging by Amtrak trying to charge you 4 segments almost half a rail pass to go from PDX-LAX. Routing goes like this.
11 PDX-SAC.
Thruway SAC to STC.
San Joaquin ftom STC to BFD.
Thruway ftom BFD to LAX.

Those segments should only be 0.25 a segment out of customer service. Anyone agree with that?

IMO, if you had booked the single segment trip and then Amtrak rerouted you, it should still be a single segment. But if you were aware of the routing before booking, it could be argued either way.

 

[travelplus]

I originally had a Roomette LA-SJ on the CS. Guest relations switched me to a Roomette from Lamy to LA ,Business Class on a running Surfliner to Santa Barbara then a bus to SJ!

 

[Barb Stout]

Alert to all passengers on the coast starlight going to LAX. I just booked my rail pass and I can confirm the segment gouging by Amtrak trying to charge you 4 segments almost half a rail pass to go from PDX-LAX. Routing goes like this.
11 PDX-SAC.
Thruway SAC to STC.
San Joaquin ftom STC to BFD.
Thruway ftom BFD to LAX.

Those segments should only be 0.25 a segment out of customer service. Anyone agree with that?

What is STC? And is BFD Bakersfield?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

What is STC? And is BFD Bakersfield?

Well, Amtrak STC is State College, PA. I presume he means SKN (Stockton)

 

[mackinaw chief]

Well, Amtrak STC is State College, PA. I presume he means SKN (Stockton)

Yes of course Stockton. ugh. Acronym soup backfired again. Sorry folks wipes two eggs off my face.

Apparently after February 3rd one can book the 1 segment . I booked the other west circle this morning.
CHI -SEA. Then cascade train to PDX hotel then PDX -CHI. via LAX on the Eagle

 

[desertflyer]

Four of us are planning to bike from Klamath Falls to Portland this June. The Starlight makes this trip from the Bay Area pretty easy since we bring our bikes on 14 OKJ-KFS and then back on 12 PDX-OKJ. Looking at many different dates, I can't find a single Starlight that has more than 2 bike spaces available. I'm guessing they're doing this because coach baggages don't actually have bike space (I've helped a conductor stack 8 bikes in a coach baggage once and it was a mess) unlike Viewline Baggage cars, but that's just a guess. This is too bad because just recently I noticed they were selling 12 bike spots on the Starlights, up from 8 in the past.

Unless Amtrak open up more bike space, we're going to have to deal with boxing. Luckily two of the people on this trip own a bike shop, so boxing is easy for them, but still a bummer.

 

[GDRRiley]

For those hoping for a reroute over Tehachapi, it is down right now due to a derailment. So yep no North South rail lines in California are open. UP will likely rush a fix for Tehachapi but days of backed up traffic makes it even less likely.

 

[trimetbusfan]

Four of us are planning to bike from Klamath Falls to Portland this June. The Starlight makes this trip from the Bay Area pretty easy since we bring our bikes on 14 OKJ-KFS and then back on 12 PDX-OKJ. Looking at many different dates, I can't find a single Starlight that has more than 2 bike spaces available. I'm guessing they're doing this because coach baggages don't actually have bike space (I've helped a conductor stack 8 bikes in a coach baggage once and it was a mess) unlike Viewline Baggage cars, but that's just a guess. This is too bad because just recently I noticed they were selling 12 bike spots on the Starlights, up from 8 in the past.

Unless Amtrak open up more bike space, we're going to have to deal with boxing. Luckily two of the people on this trip own a bike shop, so boxing is easy for them, but still a bummer.

Yeah the coast starlight hasn’t been running with a baggage car recently. It was over the summer. A coach-bag car has much less room.

 

[allanorn]

IMO, if you had booked the single segment trip and then Amtrak rerouted you, it should still be a single segment. But if you were aware of the routing before booking, it could be argued either way.

Was going to say this. If you booked it originally as a single segment and irregular operations made it four, Amtrak better just mark that itinerary as one segment. In your case I'd call an agent and see if they can help you out because the through route would normally be one segment. Worst case is you get told "no" and you can try to appeal it.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

For those hoping for a reroute over Tehachapi, it is down right now due to a derailment. So yep no North South rail lines in California are open. UP will likely rush a fix for Tehachapi but days of backed up traffic makes it even less likely.

The footage from that looked insane with the cleanup crews rolling box cars/containers downhill!

 

[GDRRiley]

The footage from that looked insane with the cleanup crews rolling box cars/containers downhill!

Yep they wanted the line open now. screw whatever the cargo is

 

[Asher]

The footage from that looked insane with the cleanup crews rolling box cars/containers downhill!

I tried to post photo, they were too large

 

[niemi24s]

FWIW, Trimetbusfan just reported the very cheapest Roomette fare yet found on the CS - a mere $486 for most of the days until 2 Feb 2023.

This new fare is $120 (or 20%) less than the previously found lowest Roomette fare of $606! Based on the previously found fares, I think there's another fare about half way between $486 and $606 yet to be found, perhaps $546.

Also noticed the Saver Coach fare went from $101 to $103.

Thanx, Trimetbusfan!!!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Any updates on when this will start running and on what route?

 

[trimetbusfan]

Any updates on when this will start running and on what route?

If you are referring to the coast starlight, start tomorrow 11(29) and Monday 14(30) the first trains will travel the full route in almost a month.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

If you are referring to the coast starlight, start tomorrow 11(29) and Monday 14(30) the first trains will travel the full route in almost a month.

Good to know! Normal route I’m assuming? Or T. Loop?

 

[TinCan782]

Good to know! Normal route I’m assuming? Or T. Loop?

Normal route. Pacific Surfliners resume to SLO as well.

 

[sitzplatz17]

11 just left Seattle on-time, but with a BNSF unit leading and a single P42 trailing. Are we hurting for locomotives that badly over here on the West Coast?

 

[trimetbusfan]

FWIW, Trimetbusfan just reported the very cheapest Roomette fare yet found on the CS - a mere $486 for most of the days until 2 Feb 2023.

This new fare is $120 (or 20%) less than the previously found lowest Roomette fare of $606! Based on the previously found fares, I think there's another fare about half way between $486 and $606 yet to be found, perhaps $546.

Also noticed the Saver Coach fare went from $101 to $103.

Thanx, Trimetbusfan!!!

Looks like that other missing fare bucket just popped up. It’s available on 11(2) for $521.

 

[niemi24s]

Thanks for that one! Wonder if there are any other Roomette buckets on this this train?