rkkwan's "short" AMTRAK Coast Starlight adventure
 

I want to (not need to) get to San Francisco from LA last Thursday. There was no cheap air-ticket for the northbound (coming back on Sat I could get relatively cheap air). And I didn't want to drive or ride Greyhound, so I decided to try AMTRAK.

From LA to San Francisco, there are two ways to do AMTRAK. One can ride a AMTRAK bus from LA Union Station to Bakersfield, then take the San Joaquin to Emeryville, and then connect to another bus to SF. It's $54 and takes about 9 hours. Or one can take the daily Coast Starlight from LA Union Station to Oakland, and then connect to a bus. It's $52 and takes about 12 hours.

To save $2, I chose the latter method. No, just kidding. I want to get the most train-travel experience, to see the coast, and I have plenty of time. That's the reason I take the Coast Starlight. Here's a short trip report of what happened.

<b>9:45a</b>
Arrive at LA Union Station by subway Red Line, went up to a Quik-trak machine in the main concourse to print my tickets (train and bus). Bought a muffin and coffee and headed to Track 10 where the Coast Starlight was already boarding. Track 10 is on the east end of the station, opposite the main concourse, so AMTRAK has a couple of electric carts to take those who don't want to walk.

[There was a line in the main hall for those taking the Pacific Surfliner to San Diego - apparently, to get seat assignments. For the Coast Starlight, that's not necessary - just go straight to the train.]

<b>9:55a</b>
Found the train on Track 10. It consists of (from North to South) 2 locomotives, baggage car, 3 sleeper cars, parlor car (for sleeper passengers only), dining car, lounge car, and 3 coach cars. The conductor at the first coach asked where I was going, and told me to go to the second car.

I asked the conductor at the 2nd coach for a seat on the left-hand (ocean) side, and he gave me Seat 5. The train is less than half-full in coach, so basically every single traveler gets 2 seats. Bathrooms (a couple fairly large) are on the lower level, along with an arcade room (with 1980's arcade machines) on my car. On the 1st and 3rd, there are lower-level seats in place of the arcade room. There's another difference which I'll find out later on.

While I have taken AMTRAK quite a few times in the Washington-NY-Boston corridor - I even have a AMTRAK Guest Reward account already - this was my first time to ride AMTRAK in the west, and first time on the bi-level Superliner equipment. The seats are much more spacious than on the East Coast trains. Pitch and width is similar to international business class seats on airplanes, though the recline is much more limited. However, there are still legrests and footrests (all manual), so it's still very very nice. Windows are aligned properly, so great view from each seat.

<b>10:15a</b>
Train departs right on time, slowly heading north from LA Union Station. The early part of the trip was very slow as we had to stop several times to meet the southbound Metrolink commuter and AMTRAK Pacific Surfliner trains. The conductor came on frequently to update what's going on. He also mentioned that there could be some delays due to the heavy rain, as Union Pacific (which owns most of the tracks) would be doing some track inspection to make sure it was safe for us to pass through.

The conductor came quickly to take our tickets and put a slip under my seat number that says "OAK" for Oakland. From then on, one can move around the train and even move to other seats taking along that seat assignment slip. Quite a few people moved away from my car to either the 1st or 3rd, as it turned out those cars have 110v AC power.

I decided to stay in my seat as both my phone and my netbook were fully charged, and I had reading material as well. My car became even less crowded and very quiet. In fact, the train was very quiet - no noise-isolating/canceling headphones required.

Soon, the dining car attendant announced the lunch menu and then came through the train to take reservations for lunch. Seven seatings were available in 15-minute intervals between 11:30a to 1:00p. I asked for a 1:00p reservations. Those traveling in sleeper can also choose to dine at the parlor car at other times, and there's a snack bar in the lower level of the lounge car for everybody with sandwiches, chips, drinks, etc.

<b>12:04p</b>
Departed Oxnard (67 miles from LAUS), after brief stops at Van Nuys and Simi Valley. <b>9 minutes late</b> at this time.

<b>12:58p</b>
Arrived at Santa Barbara, the first longer stop, where they let people go down for a smoke (or photos or whatever). I didn't get off as they just called me over to have lunch at the dining car. Departed Santa Barbara at 1:08p, <b>20 minutes late</b>.

They seat 4 people together in a table in the dining car. One couldn't ask for his/her own table even though our train was very emtpy. For our 1:00p seating, there were 2 tables (8 total). I sat with a single lady going to a funeral, and a mother-and-son pair coming back all the way from NYC to San Luis Obispo - though in sleeper.

Choices include cheeseburger, a grilled chicken salad, and a pork stew over rice. I had the pork, which also comes with a side salad and drink. $9, tax included! Not bad. I left a $1.50 tip for $10.50. Because we were the last seating, they didn't hurry to kick us out, so we sat in the dining car and chat for a while.

The sections before and after Santa Barbara are some of the most beautiful along the route, and some people left their coach seats to sit in the lounge car with tall windows. No purchase necessary. Just grab any empty seat.

Our progress started to really slow down. 1st, not far from Santa Barbara, we stopped while waiting for Union Pacific to inspect the tracks. 2nd, we stopped again when UP had a computer crash and had to reboot the signal system. 3rd, our train lost power at one time, slowly rolling to a stop before they restarted the engines. Finally, at about 4:20p, we stopped just short of the San Luis Obispo station, apparently waiting for the southbound Coast Starlight to clear the station before we could pull in. We were about <b>an hour late</b> at that time.

Before going on, I forgot that between Santa Barbara and SLO, there were two activities announced. First was a wine tasting. $5 for those in the sleeper, and $10 for coach. I don't drink, so I didn't go. Then they showed a Harry Potter movie at the theater in the parlor car for the sleeper passengers. But that was during the most beautiful part of the joruney.

<b>Around 4:40p</b>
We were about to leave San Luis Obispo at this time when the announcement came that the train whistle/horn was not functioning, and there would be a "short delay" to get it fix. A little while later, I saw a ladder going up the side of the front locomotive. Then they said we'd need to wait for a mechanic to come by. It starts to get dark by then.

At around 5:40p, they said they have to pull the whistle/horn relay from the 2nd locomotive and switch it to the leading unit. I was about to go to the lounge car to get some snacks (I've decided to wait until getting to SF to have dinner instead of having it on the train) when they disconnected power to the trains for about 15 minutes.

I wanted to post on my FB about my delay, so I started up my netbook. Very luckily, there's an unsecured wi-fi connection available! Probably from some business adjacent to the SLO train depot. :)

Meanwhile, dinner was continuously served to those who'd made reservations at the dining car (seatings from 5 to 7:30p)

Some of my fellow passengers going to San Francisco worried that the connecting bus wouldn't wait for us, but I already know we'll be okay. The conductor told them, even if we were 8 hours late, the bus would still be waiting. :p

<b>6:54p</b>
Finally, the whistle was fixed and we could get going again. We departed SLO <b>3:11 late</b>, and then Paso Robles at 8:05p, <b>3:20 late</b>. They showed "Julie and Julia" in the parlor car for the sleeper passengers. The train rolled at its top speed of 69MPH through the flat Salinas valley (I was checking my GPS), but we still departed Salinas <b>3:18 late</b>, at 9:54p. They stopped making announcement after 10p so they wouldn't disturb those wanting to sleep.

But then things start improving. There were no more delays, and probably because at that time most commuter train traffic has ceased around San Jose, we picked up almost half an hour, and departed San Jose at 11:24p, <b>2:45 late</b>.

<b>12:20a</b>
Finally, we pulled into Oakland Jack London Square <b>2:48 late</b>. The bus was indeed waiting for the around 25 of us heading to San Francisco, and we left at 12:29a, <b>2:44 behind schedule</b>.

Now, I was super lucky. This bus makes several stop in SF, and my stop - 4th & Market - was supposed to be 2nd to last, and would take 55 minutes. But after we crossed the Bay Bridge, the ramp to Embarcadero was closed due to construction, and the bus had to use the next exit. So, instead of being 2nd-to-last stop, 4th & Market became the first stop. I got off the bus at 12:48a, only <b>2:08 late</b>. Total travel time: 14:33, about the same as flying time from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. :p

So, that was my adventure. The seat on the train was indeed very comfortable, the view very nice, and all the attendants/conductors very friendly. Even the dining car was not overpriced. If one's not in a hurry, and is fine to arrive whenever, it's a pretty nice way to travel. :)

Oh, just want to add that the rail distance from Los Angeles Union Station to Oakland Jack London Square is 464mi. If the train had been on-time, it'd have taken 11:17, for an average of 41MPH.

With the delay, my train took 14:05, for an average of 33MPH.

On my way back, my flight from SFO to LAX took 54 minutes.

Thanks for the detailed trip report!

I love trains and have done that trip on Amtrak, although it's been years.

Great report! I love trains, too, and am impressed by the amenities on the West Coast. Harry Potter? Wine tasting?? Amtrak??? ;-) At times, it felt as though you were going nowhere fast but, still, sounds like an experience I would have enjoyed. Delays on trains don't bother me as they do on planes--at least on trains you are free to move about the cabin, etc., and the seats are far more comfortable.

So how was the scenery?

Great trip report . . thanks

I've done that trip, but it was years ago for me. I have travelled from the midwest to the west coast on bi-level trains several times. It's a pleasant (though s-l-o-w compared to flying) and I would do it again in a heartbeat if the opportunity should arise. Thanks for your report.

Sounds like a nice way to travel when time is not an issue. Did you actually get to see much of the coast? I don't recall seeing a train on the way up the coast road, maybe I was looking at the ocean all the time.

Thanks

Though I'd heard the tale before, I always love reading Ray's trip reports. Hmmmm, no pictures??

Thanks guys for reading.

Let me make one more comment. While traveling on coach is basic transport, they do try to please those who travel in sleeper - with all the activities. In fact, it is like a resort train "lite". Now, we all know these trains lose tonnes of money, so the question is why are we taxpayers subsidizing those "resort" travelers? Or put it another way, for those with the time, it's foolish NOT to go on the AMTRAK sleeper trains. You've already paid for them in taxes.

As for how much you see the coast on my trip, it's not that long. From Ventura to Santa Barbara is parallel US101, which I have traveled a few times myself in the car and I've seen the Coast Starlight on this route. North of Santa Barbara, the first 25 miles is still along US101 on the coast. But then US101 turns inland towards Solvang, while the Coast Starlight remains on the coast for another 50 miles. That part can only been seen from the train. So, that's about 100 miles total on the coast.

The early part of the trip through Simi Valley was also beautiful, once we left the San Fernando Valley. The latter part is beautiful too (I've traveled US101 by car), but because of the delay, it was all dark for me north of SLO.

DebitNM - I have thousands of pictures to be processed - with trips to Colorado, Big Island, Yosemite and China - before this trip! :p

I've enjoyed the Canadian, the Empire Builder and the California Zephyr; taking the Coast Starlight is still on my to-do-one-day list. Thanks for sharing your experience rkkwan. Those delays actually don't look so bad given what they can be... especially if the scenery was lovely...

Best wishes, Daniel

Better get cracking then, Ray! I can only say this because I already got my pictures online! ;)

Sounds so much nicer than the NE corridor trains!

thanks for the report, where did you eat after you arrived in SF at 1AM? I am glad you took the train one way, I took it both ways and the ride home in the dark was really boring but I loved the ride north overall.

SeaUrchin - I was thinking about room service at the Grand Hyatt, but turned out it's not 24-hours. So I went to the Lori's Diner - the one on Mason - for some unnamed greasy food that my doctors wouldn't approve of.

33 miles an hour - just like those high speed trains in europe.

That's really pitiful - the NE coridor trains at least do something like 60.

RK, I've done both: San Joaquin and Starlight, and the coast ride is very much better. San Joaquin is mostly boring, don't take it unless you have to.

So your train was late, that was expected :)

"he gave me Seat 5" - what??? are the seats assigned now? Whenever we took coach, we just took any available seat!

And one more thing, can you take Greyhound next time, and report back :))

Sad to hear that Amtrak apparently can't improve its on-time performance...it's been that way forever. In fact, I don't think I've ever taken a West Coast Amtrak trip that's been on time, except for a couple of short hauls between LA and San Diego.

As you can tell from my report, we've been making up time since Salinas. I didn't check its eventual arrival time in Seattle, but when I got to my hotel in SF, they were projecting on-time arrival at Portland and an hour early into Seattle. So, this train could have been on-time or even early. It's just that during part of the trip, it was 3+ hours late. That's all.

Dayenu - I've done overnight Greyhound rides. It was not fun. And in fact, I won't do overnight in coach on AMTRAK either. As for seat assignments, yes, the conductor gave me a little slip when I boarded my car. This way, people wouldn't fight for their seats onboard. :)

Nice report Rkkwan! I will be leaving Chicago on Saturday aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief. I have a sleeper room reseved and my final destination will be San Diego on Monday afternoon after changing trains in LA. I have 2 movies rented from netfkix to watch plus thre audio books to listen to on my I Pod. Other than that I will sip wine and relax as my train journeys across the frozen tudra of the midwest to warmer and hoplefully dry southern california.
I will try to get a report out sometime next week about my experiences.

I didn't read the report, but I'm surprised by how cheap prices are. NYC-Philadelphia routinely sells for over $50 and it's over $100 to go to DC, especially if you want the fastest train. Trains seem quite expensive along the Northeast corridor, but I guess so are the air shuttles.

111op - It's not uncommon to find $49 + tax airfare each way between Southern California and the Bay Area, especially LAX and SFO. AMTRAK needs to stay competitive.

In contrast, Los Angeles to San Diego on the Pacific Surfliner - a much more popular ride - is not that cheap. It is $29 for just 128 miles (2:45).

Ray - great report as usual - thorough and lots of details. With delays and all, that's still a very nice trip. And it's still so much more relaxing and fun than flying. And maybe one day we will recognize its potential benefits and create some high speed trains. Thanks

Well, looks like they are starting the California highspeed train project for real this time. But even after all the initial 4 sections are completed in 2017 or whenever, one still can't go from L.A. to San Francisco. Wonder if I can live long enough to see it completed.

Nice report, Ray! Thanks for sharing.

Slow travel just isn't my thing, but it's fun to read of your adventures.

Thanks for the report. I have often wondered about doing the train ride but like others have experienced so many delays and issues just between OC and SD that I am reluctant to do so all the way up the coast. It might be fun if one were to break it up - coming from OC to Santa Barbara and then some place else... hummmm...fun trip for dh and I someday.

Pictures of the train trip has been posted! No comments yet, but you get the "picture"...

http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/sanfrancisco0110

Your photos are not only beautiful, they tell a story. Love the night shots and the lonely station, they really give the feeling of the trip.

The dining car and the plated foods looked really nice.

Oh, you didn't have A/C in your car? WOW! That never happened to me/to us!

Nice report Ray. I'm disappointed in the pix though. You typically include a photo or 2 of the same one subject in every photo trip report you post, but none here. :)

On time = 41mph? Imagine how one of those high speed rail links zipping along at a lightning fast 60mph would cut the travel time!

Loved the photos. Thanks for the trip report.

J62 - Didn't you see a couple of photos of them standing on the platform at San Luis Obispo? :p

Beautiful photos and interesting trip report, thank you.

Great trip report - thank you for sharing it! We drove from SF to the OC (and back again to avoid a huge one-way rental car penalty) when visiting my parents in December - seriously thinking about doing the train one way and now I feel more inspired to do so!

ROFLMAO. Curvaceous indeed, in an Amtrak sort of way.