posted
The Coast Starlight #14 will now depart Los Angeles Union Station at 9:30AM. I learned this today while checking the fare for a possible summer trip. The change will being on June 14, 2006. This is the first schedule change on the Coast Starlight since the replacement of Glendale with Van Nuys, and the bus from Klamath Falls to Chemult to Pasco. This change surprises and I do not know the reason for the change, it only shows when you check schedules for the 14th and after. The Coast Starlight has been departing Los Angeles at 10:15AM for quite a few years, but did depart at 9:30AM less then 10 years ago. Amtrak has not replaced the current timetable on the website with the new times of arrival etc.
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Sounds like Amtrak wants to give the 'Coast Starlight' a 'headstart'(ie: more padding).
Maybe (tongue-in-cheek here) if they can get it out of the station before the UP dispatcher realizes it's gone then they won't have a chance to delay the train.
(again.....tongue-in-cheek.....I KNOW the 'Starlight' isn't really going anywhere woithout a dispatchers' OK!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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According to the reservations system--it is scheduled into San Jose at 7:27PM instead of 8:27AM ...So for the Coast Starlight its not nearly enough padding as it needs to run nearly on time. Lets hope this will do some good...maybe 2 hours late like? Anton
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
I took the Coast Starlight, last summer, from San Jose to Portland. The train was scheduled into San Jose around 8:40 PM..it arrived around 11:00 PM. Scheduled into Portland at around 4:30 PM, it actually arrived at around 11PM. It would guess it made Seattle by around 3:00 AM.
If it start out, in LA, at 9:30 and gets into San Jose at 7:30PM or 7:45 PM, that is good news, indeed, assuming it would be roughly on time. In the old days, I was able to board the CS, here in San Jose, and could catch dinner, in the dining car, before it closed.
Question: I am going on the basis that a link with the Sunset Limited is no longer possible..why can't the Coast Starlight start out of LA much earlier. Is Union Pacific the bottleneck?
For example, if the CS were to start out of LA at 7:00 AM, it would make a much better schedule stop at major stations, in my opinion. I figure a 7:00 AM departure would mean getting into San Jose around 5:30 PM, Eugene at 9:45 AM, Portland around 1:00 PM, and Seattle around 5:00PM or 5:30 PM, time to get to your lodging and have dinner.
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
Yukon --- A 7:00 AM departure would make the connection with the Southwest Chief no longer possible. As it is it is a two hour layover in LAX. I made this connection 6 weeks ago. Had just enough time to make a quick visit to the Union Bagel Shop to grab an "on the run" breakfast. The earlier time you propose would make it necessary to overnite in LAX. --- Dee
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Also, a 7:00AM departure would conflict with Metrolink trains. Many trains are headed south into LA around that time, and much of the track is still single-track.
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
Sounds like they're going back to something closer to the original 1970s timetable, which to me is a good thing. It gets into the bay area at a more reasonable hour, which would help it draw more custoners from a major population center.
I wonder if they worked something out with UP to give it a time slot that will help it avoid some of the freight conflicts.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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It's not really the freight conflicts, it's the numerous slow orders due to poorly maintained track. The track is old SP track which is literally falling apart. Combine that with the ancient block signals and hand-throw switches, and there's going to be delays.
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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Friends came into Oxnard the other night on the SB Starlight and were 7 1/2 hours late. The pax going to other points south were bused from SBA but, since they overnight the train in Oxnard before sending it on to LAUPT as a deadhead in the AM, they OXN pax were allowed to stay on board. They still enjoyed the trip, especially the segment on the Empire Builder from Montana.
Frank in cloudy, "June Gloom", SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Update: This change will only be effective until August 14, 2006. The change is due to work being done by the Union Pacific.
So does anyone think this may actually allow the Coast Starlight to be "a bit" less late?
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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