New Pacific Surfliner schedule now available (Effective October 25, 2021)

[TinCan782]

Available as a PDF
https://www.pacificsurfliner.com/gl..._pacific-surfliner-timetable_oct-25-2021.pdf/

 

[Cal]

Thank you! And thank you Caltrans, not so much Amtrak.

Edit: Seems like all trains now stop at all Amtrak stops north of LA, which is nice. Now once the full schedule resumes they need to make it hourly, at least for peak times. I really don't understand why they have a 3 hour gap between 4 and 7 PM and 7 and 10 AM.

 

[hmy1]

Have Northridge and downtown Burbank always been Surfliner stops for 768 (now 770) and 784 southbound, 761 and 777 northbound?

I was surprised about the renumbering, but upon seeing the whole schedule, I see that they evenly distributed the numbers to align with future hourly service.

 

[Cal]

Have Northridge and downtown Burbank always been Surfliner stops for 768 (now 770) and 784 southbound, 761 and 777 northbound?

I was surprised about the renumbering, but upon seeing the whole schedule, I see that they evenly distributed the numbers to align with future hourly service.

They’re for Metrolink passengers, you can’t boon them on Amtrak.

 

[thully]

Any idea what would cause them to split 796 into 794 and 594 with a cross-platform transfer? Is the north segment chronically late - in which case this change allows them to bustitute 794 passengers south of LA and operate 594 on time? That’s the only rational explanation I can think of…

 

[Eric S]

Any idea what would cause them to split 796 into 794 and 594 with a cross-platform transfer? Is the north segment chronically late - in which case this change allows them to bustitute 794 passengers south of LA and operate 594 on time? That’s the only rational explanation I can think of…

Equipment rotation, perhaps? Ensuring that trainset ends up in Los Angeles for servicing on a consistent basis? Just a guess, I didn't actually sort out equipment turns from the schedule.

 

[Cal]

Equipment rotation, perhaps? Ensuring that trainset ends up in Los Angeles for servicing on a consistent basis? Just a guess, I didn't actually sort out equipment turns from the schedule.

Seems possible.

I was surprised about the renumbering, but upon seeing the whole schedule, I see that they evenly distributed the numbers to align with future hourly service.

This is good news, hopefully means they're looking to make the Surfliner hourly to fill all current gaps someday.

 

[Cal]

Looks like all stations between LA and San Diego with the exception of Old Town and San Clemente Pier are also back to being staffed.

 

[user 6862]

Only 2 trains per day southbound directly from San Luis Obispo?

 

[Cal]

Only 2 trains per day southbound directly from San Luis Obispo?

That's how it was pre-covid. The 8 hour long journey time makes it hard for too many services to go all the way.

 

[Cal]

From this article, “The goal is to ultimately have hourly service between San Diego and Los Angeles during peak periods.” Told by Roger Lopez, whose an administrative officer of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.

 

[user 6862]

That's how it was pre-covid. The 8 hour long journey time makes it hard for too many services to go all the way.

Thanks Cal, I don't remember it was so infrequent although that may be my memory.

 

[Cal]

Thanks Cal, I don't remember it was so infrequent although that may be my memory.

The starlight also supplements service. Although 796 (soon to be 794) isn’t that far behind the starlight as it’s the train that starlight passengers connect to for those headed further south

 

[Barb Stout]

Why are some of the times bolded and others are not? I just couldn't figure it out.

 

[trainman74]

Why are some of the times bolded and others are not? I just couldn't figure it out.

P.M. times are bolded, and A.M. times are not.

 

[zephyr17]

Why are some of the times bolded and others are not? I just couldn't figure it out.

Bold times are PM

 

[lstone19]

Any idea what would cause them to split 796 into 794 and 594 with a cross-platform transfer? Is the north segment chronically late - in which case this change allows them to bustitute 794 passengers south of LA and operate 594 on time? That’s the only rational explanation I can think of…

The Pacific Surfliner website schedule notes (Schedule Change | Pacific Surfliner) says it's for "equipment logistics." The equipment for 794 comes from 761 which leaves San Diego as the first train of the day at 4:01am. I have no idea what the arrangement is at San Diego but the schedule shows three sets overnighting there and maybe the last train in (594) has to be the first train out (761) in which case that would lock that equipment into a daily SAN-SLO-SAN turn without it ever getting terminating at LAX.

Edit: Never mind that idea. Just looked at the SAN station on Google Earth and it looks like enough station tracks for each overnighting train to have its own track. Maybe they want each set in LAX at least every other night. Without that schedule break, that set would be in SAN two nights in a row.

 

[TheTuck]

Edit: Never mind that idea. Just looked at the SAN station on Google Earth and it looks like enough station tracks for each overnighting train to have its own track. Maybe they want each set in LAX at least every other night. Without that schedule break, that set would be in SAN two nights in a row.

Trainsets can usually survive for 3 or 4 days between visits to the home terminal, 8th street in this case. Upon looking more closely at the schedule, the obvious equipment turns lead to one trainset requiring many consecutive nights at the outlying terminals whereas the other sets return right away. By simply changing overnight turns in SAN, this problem could be avoided thus eliminating the need for the 794/594 transfer. If SAN parking is not a constraint, there must be another reason...

Delays to the old 796 were sometimes pretty bad, and being the last train of the day could wreak havoc for passengers. By creating 594 as its own schedule, it becomes more reliable for late night riders (including sports fans/concertgoers) in that it has a much better chance of leaving LAX on time even when the train from SLO runs late. In this case, passengers from 794 would transfer to the next bus to SAN.

 

[tricia]

Does anyone know whether the southbound early coastal-route train from Sacramento to San Diego will return to the schedule later this year? My old printed timetable shows it as Capitol Corridor/Pacific Surfliner 523/790 on weekdays, leaving Sacramento at 5:30AM.

 

[BlackDiamond]

From this article, “The goal is to ultimately have hourly service between San Diego and Los Angeles during peak periods.” Told by Roger Lopez, whose an administrative officer of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.

That is impressive given that the line has a fair amount of single track sections plus a significant amount of freight traffic.

 

[Cal]

That is impressive given that the line has a fair amount of single track sections plus a significant amount of freight traffic.

Single track is getting greatly reduced. Coaster and Metrolink have been adding more double track and using concrete ties for many sections.


The only area with good freight service is FUL-LAX which is all triple tracked. I think it is probably doable

 

[TinCan782]

That is impressive given that the line has a fair amount of single track sections plus a significant amount of freight traffic.

The line north of Los Angeles (Ventura, Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo is indeed a lot of single track but, there not a whole lot of UP freight traffic along there, especially north of Santa Barbara.

 

[Cal]

The line north of Los Angeles (Ventura, Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo is indeed a lot of single track but, there not a whole lot of UP freight traffic along there, especially north of Santa Barbara.

But they’re looking for hourly service south of LA.

 

[hmy1]

Does anyone know whether the southbound early coastal-route train from Sacramento to San Diego will return to the schedule later this year? My old printed timetable shows it as Capitol Corridor/Pacific Surfliner 523/790 on weekdays, leaving Sacramento at 5:30AM.

One of the nice things about the old Amtrak-generated Surfliner schedule is that it included a page on California Coastal Routes. It showed how Caltrans utilized Thruway buses to connect Capital Corridor trains at OAK/SJC to the Pacific Surfliner at SBA/SLO, giving travelers more options than just the Coast Starlight. Unfortunately, the latest schedules generated by LOSSAN/Metrolink don't have that page.

The Surfliner is currently back up to ten trips in each direction per day, 2 to SBA and 2 to SLO. Pre-pandemic it was 13 trips, 3 to SBA and 2 to SLO. The 523/790 trip you're looking for is the SBA trip that has not been reinstated. Also, I'm not sure how many of the connecting buses are still running.

Any reason why you don't want to do the Coast Starlight? Many here would prefer an all-train itinerary to one with a connecting bus in the middle.

 

[tricia]

... Any reason why you don't want to do the Coast Starlight? Many here would prefer an all-train itinerary to one with a connecting bus in the middle.

Desire to reliably get to my destination before nightfall.