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On Friday I rode the San Joaquin from Los Angeles to San Francsico. I had originally booked the Starlight several months ago and we all know what happened to that. We left LAUPT at 1:15pm in drizzling rain, crossed a torrential LA River 4 times and started to ascend the grapevine crossing in a downpour with the road several inches deep in water at places. By the time we descended into the central valley the skies had cleared and Bakersfield was warm and sunny. There were hundreds of people assembled on the platforms and in the station, luggage piled everywhere, still waiting for the SB 702 to arrive and become the NB 715 and whisk them away at 1:15. It finally appeared at about 3:30 shortly followed by SB 712 which would become NB 717, my train. We were all on our way by 4:15, a mere hour and a half late for me. The conductor quickly got on the intercom and shattered my naďve calculation that I’d be home by midnight. He said there WOULD BE further delays along the line. He mentioned the BNSF track construction once and did no additional bashing. We were sidelined several times and lost more and more time due mainly to slow speeds. In the couple of hours of daylight I did see some flowering orchards which I presumed to be plums and maybe almonds – they’re early aren’t they? A fellow in my section told me he’d been on this train the day before and they’d hit a car about 10 miles out of Bakersfield, annulled and he was put up over night. I haven’t heard this accident mentioned elsewhere. At Modesto everyone for points north were put off the train to wait for the 703, reputedly right behind us, to take them to SAC as there would be no busses in Stockton. When we pulled into Stockton there was another train in the station which turned out to be the 715, crew “dead on the law” as our conductor put it. All passengers transferred to us and we maneuvered around to couple that train to the rear of 717 and off we went. That incurred another half hour lost. We arrived in Emeryville shortly before 2am – four hours late. I was in my bed by 3:30. Througout all this no one was irate and raving. Everyone was pretty even tempered – and there were a LOT of people of all ages and stripes – lots of activity at all station stops. It was pretty inspiring really – and depressing at the same time. I am an Amtrak fan and to see the system malfunctioning in the face of such popular support was discouraging. Maybe the critics are right. It only took 14 hours by train (NB) and 5 hours to fly (SB) from my home in the civic center area of San Francsico to downtown LA. The Metro route from LAX didn’t work that well for me. It took a long time with the shuttlebus, then the green line, then the blue line, then the red line. Next time I’ll try Burbank airport and Metrolink.
Posts: 326 | From: San Antonio Texas USA | Registered: Dec 2003
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Hi, C.O.M- we past each other up in Bakersfield that day. I was on that SB 702. 702 left SAC an hour late to start, because the night before, 703 hit something (a car or pedestrian?) and couldn't continue to SAC. Friday morning we had to wait for a Capitol Corridor train to arrive so that that equipment could become 702. The original equipment had to be brought to SAC by a contracted BNSF engine. We actually passed them right around Merced.
I had the pleasure of sitting three seats back from the cab, and the engineer had the door open. I got to see and hear everything. There was some track construction going on, but most of the delays were a result of the trains being so far out of their respective slots. That was compounded with the backlog of freight trains due to the bad weather. Yes, 712 was tailing us from Stockton on: they were stuck behind us-and we were stuck behind the same SB freight train from Modesto all the way through to Bakersfield. I never new how much single track there was along that line until I got a front end few!
Anyway-I was suppose to connect into LAX to the Southwest Chief. Instead, when we got to Bakersfield, we were directed onto a bus to San Bernardino. There was only one problem. The bus got caught in a traffic jam on the 210 FWY and the SWC was long gone by the time we got there. The driver, fearing mutiny was francticly trying to get a hold of his supervisor since he knew nothing. He finally got a hold of somebody with Amtrak Operations-they sent a cab for us to take us back to LAX-free hotel and cash for dinner (at 1:00am!!) Worst of all-I couldn't afford to lose a day. I was flying back and it would have cost me way too muck to change my airline reservation 5 days before I was slated to travel! TRIP RUINED!!
-------------------- Patrick Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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I am a bit confused as to how you missed your SWC connection and why you would even be bussed to San Bernardino from Bakersfield. First of all the San Juaqin train arrives around 1:45 and you depart around 2 and arrive at 4:15. The SWC only leaves LA at 6:45 PM. Thus you have a guaranteed connection and they should hold the SWC until you arrive. I have checked the SWC train status page on amtrak.com and sometimes it has departed at 7:15 to allow for late connects like you and it made up all the time enroute. So how did your situation arise? I can't believe it would take you 4 hours to LA. The latest you would arrive would be at 6 P.M. if your San Juaqin was running late.
What's this no connection to the supervisor business? I thought the bus drivers have Nextel radio phones with a direct connection to the base at LA. So you can blame the bus driver for not getting you to your destination. Also if you look on a map San Bernardino can be further than LA in terms of traffic on the 210-10. The 5 can be crowded too. Sorry for your trip. I would have asked for a free night and accomodation on the next train and even a free upgrade to a roomette for the inconvience. But of course time is of the matter so we all have to make a tough decision.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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BT W sorry to add to the post but why didn't Amtrak bus you to LA so you would make the guaranteed connection if they knew this problem would arise. Amtrak's policy is"We will get you to your connection or final destination even if its by bus: Amtrak fell through. Very upsetting.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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TRAVELPLUS... I don't know where you came up with Amtrak's "policy", But I'm afraid it is incorrect. It allows for overnight hotel accomodations and transportation on the next available train when necessary to fulfill their guaranteed connection policy.
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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