Starlight/Sunset connection in LAX

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Yumacool

Service Attendant
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I am traveling from Paso Robles, CA, after Christmas to Yuma, AZ. I will catch the Coast Starlight for the trip to LAX, then connect with the Sunset Limited. I booked the tickets through Amtrak, but am somewhat worried about the connection in Los Angeles. Though I have made this trip many times with no problems, I know Amtrak has been discouraging the connection in recent months, and I am worried that I won't make it in time. Should I change my reservation to ride on one of the earlier in the day bus/Pacific Surfliner trains? I don't want to do this, but will if it overcomes a problem. I will appreciate your input ...
 
If you made it all on one reservation, Amtrak will know there are connecting passengers. Normally, there is plenty of time to connect. If the CS is not too late, the usually hold the SL. If they cannot, Amtrak will pay for a hotel and make other arrangements.
 
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If the CS is running too late to hold the SL they may bus you direct before LAX to meet the SL. Generally they will not want to put you up for several nights since the SL is only three days a week.
 
I recently had this connection. I was told by the Amtrak agent it is not a guaranteed connection. I looked at the stats and thought it would be fine but on this trip, I actually needed to get somewhere. The morning I was to ride, 14 was an hour late. The station agent told me it might make the connection but it is not guaranteed so we recommend the San Joaquins route instead. My wife really enjoys the PPC but she really gets worried about connections so I opted the safe bet. We had a great ride. Best conductor ever. On time. Got to LAX, ate dinner, took pictures and watched 14 arrive. Well we would have connected fine but we noticed no PPC so no big loss. Coming back the connection was fine plus it was guaranteed. This was a case of better safe than sorry. I asked at LA if they would have held 2 and I was told probably not. Depends.

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They don’t, only way to tell is that if the connection is offered when you try to book.
It looks as though the Coast Starlight to Sunset Limited routing is no longer offered as a published connection. Instead of that schedule prospective customers are presented with a commuter train and an eight hour red eye trip on an overnight bus. No explanation of seat width, row pitch, ceiling height, restroom facilities, etc. But in exchange for spending all night on a frumpy commuter bus you'll receive an extra twelve hours of dwell time at LAUS.
 
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What muddies the water is often UP schedules track work during the day time schedule of the Sunset. Often to mitigate that work Amtrak often has to make the Sunset leave LAX earlier. Since UP doesn't give much notice the lack of notice puts Amtrak in a bind.
 
They don’t, only way to tell is that if the connection is offered when you try to book.
It looks as though the Coast Starlight to Sunset Limited routing is no longer offered as a published connection. Instead of that schedule prospective customers are presented with a commuter train and an eight hour red eye trip on an overnight bus. No explanation of seat width, row pitch, ceiling height, restroom facilities, etc. But in exchange for spending all night on a frumpy commuter bus you'll receive an extra twelve hours of dwell time at LAUS.
As a general statement, that is not true. The 11-2 connection is still usually available as a guaranteed connection.

While there may be blackout periods due to UP work, I have a booking for 4/28 where the 11-2 connection showed as valid and available, I just did a phantom booking for the same date that was successful (on the assumption that Amtrak may have changed things but I had not gotten notified yet). I also did a phantom booking closer in for 1/20 where the 11-2 connection also showed as available.

Remember that to make the connection, you have to be arriving in LA on a day the Sunset operates (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday), otherwise the website won't show it as an option.
 
The dates I selected matched up with Sunset Limited trains but they still didn't offer a direct connection from the Coast Starlight. So I guess some parts of the year the Coast Starlight to Sunset Limited is a guaranteed connection while other times of the year it's not. How is an average passenger supposed to understand this or even know that it's a potential issue? It really seems like this vague sometimes guaranteed connection policy should be better clarified so it doesn't require a secret decoder ring for new or infrequent passengers to comprehend.
 
My last two connections CS to SL I over nighted in LA. One time, I rented a car at the station, the other, my daughter was also in LA so she picked me up. Both trip the CS made the connection had I done that, but it was close with the CS arriving as we were boarding.
 
The dates I selected matched up with Sunset Limited trains but they still didn't offer a direct connection from the Coast Starlight. So I guess some parts of the year the Coast Starlight to Sunset Limited is a guaranteed connection while other times of the year it's not. How is an average passenger supposed to understand this or even know that it's a potential issue? It really seems like this vague sometimes guaranteed connection policy should be better clarified so it doesn't require a secret decoder ring for new or infrequent passengers to comprehend.
What were those dates? It almost certainly is not a regular time of year but incidents of UP scheduling trackwork either on the Coast Starlight route or Sunset route on a case by case basis.

Bottom line, this is a guaranteed connection. Railroad trackwork affects many routes, such as Crescent annulments. Put the blame where it belongs, Union Pacific.
 
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It is confusing as I asked on three separate occasions and the Amtrak agents all said 11 to 2 is not guaranteed.

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There was a period, just a few months ago, when Amtrak broke the connection indefinitely due to trackwork on the Starlight route. They have since restored it.

BTW, I actually booked my April trip with an agent, after having verified the price on the website (I don't book sleepers on the website because I am picky about roomette location). The agent had no problem at all with it and, in fact, when I said Seattle to New Orleans leaving 4/28 she is the one that said "via Los Angeles?"

Are you talking to station agents or the reservation center?
 
I called on the phone. I also asked the station agent at Emeryville. I asked at the lounge in LA. The reservation center said no guarantee. The station agent said it probably would connect but Amtrak wouldn’t guarantee it. In LA I was told they will hold 2 sometimes but it all depends. Both the agent and reservation system did say the San Joaquins was guaranteed.

I personally don’t mind taking a chance. Normally I connect.

It is confusing as in the past I never thought to ask when booking 11 to 2, the agents just booked it.

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Yes Zephyr17, I took the trip week of Thanksgiving. I am wondering if the holiday week was different. I also assumed it was guaranteed and I thankful I had not missed a connection before on previous trips. It would less confusing if the guaranteed connection was indicated on the ticket so the traveler would know.

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UP had been doing trackwork on the Starlight's route this fall and the connection was broken for awhile because if it. Maybe you got caught in the tail end of that.

Anything the website shows as a continuing route is a guaranteed connection. If you have to force it through the multi-city option or two reservations, it is not.

In any case, I did a test reservation for next week (SEA-NOL) and it is showing as a valid (guaranteed) connection. It qualifies as guaranteed according to the rules (minimum 60 minute connection time).

On my April trip, unless I hear from Amtrak, I am assuming it is guaranteed and, if for some reason (such as trackwork), they elect to break the connection, Amtrak will reach out to rebook on a guaranteed routing. That is Amtrak's standard procedure.
 
I do like that 11 - 2 connection as I use it now to Phoenix. The shuttle from Maricopa makes it easy.

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No problem at all on our last CS-SL connection, even with a reroute through Bakersfield/Tehachapi for UP track work on the Coast. For that matter, I think we pulled into LAX ahead of schedule.

Another trip on the SL we were coming up from San Diego, and were informed thankfully with enough notice that #2 was leaving early, as mentioned above. It was doubly-fortunate we were leaving from OSD (and not SAN) and had the choice of commuter trains to bridge what was starting to look like either a near-miss or several-hour layover.

So as others have said, it must be conditional.
 
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