rickycourtney
Conductor
There has been a major investment in new motorcoaches used on Amtrak California Thruway routes. 10 new Van Hool buses went into service earlier this year (I did a trip report here) now it seems that there are several new MCI D4505 motor coaches on the Bakersfield to Southern California routes.
The buses are being painted with the Amtrak California livery of dark blue and orange and each new bus has WiFi and 2 power outlets for each seat pair. That's a nice feature for people who want to keep using their electronics after they step off the train.
The seats on these new MCI buses all have seat belts and they recline and are really comfortable. But unlike the Van Hool seats there's no tray table and no center armrest (which is nice to have when you share seats with a stranger.)
Another nice feature: the buses have electronic head signs that should clear up some confusion at the bus transfer area in Bakersfield.
First trip (BFD-Santa Clarita)
This bus hadn't been fully prepared for service (WiFi and power outlets weren't working yet, and the electronic headsign hadn't been installed.)
A nice feature: 2 sets of "club seating" where 4 seats surround a small table (2 people seated backwards). These are really popular with families with small kids and other groups traveling together.
Second trip (Santa Clarita-BFD)
While this bus wasn't painted yet it had been prepared for service and WiFi and power outlets were up and running. The WiFi worked incredibly well reaching 26 Mbps on flat land and kept working at reduced speeds as we went over a mountain pass.
The buses are being painted with the Amtrak California livery of dark blue and orange and each new bus has WiFi and 2 power outlets for each seat pair. That's a nice feature for people who want to keep using their electronics after they step off the train.
The seats on these new MCI buses all have seat belts and they recline and are really comfortable. But unlike the Van Hool seats there's no tray table and no center armrest (which is nice to have when you share seats with a stranger.)
Another nice feature: the buses have electronic head signs that should clear up some confusion at the bus transfer area in Bakersfield.
First trip (BFD-Santa Clarita)
This bus hadn't been fully prepared for service (WiFi and power outlets weren't working yet, and the electronic headsign hadn't been installed.)
A nice feature: 2 sets of "club seating" where 4 seats surround a small table (2 people seated backwards). These are really popular with families with small kids and other groups traveling together.
Second trip (Santa Clarita-BFD)
While this bus wasn't painted yet it had been prepared for service and WiFi and power outlets were up and running. The WiFi worked incredibly well reaching 26 Mbps on flat land and kept working at reduced speeds as we went over a mountain pass.
Last edited by a moderator:
