Pre-Boarding for disabled for Surfliner at San Diego?

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FunNut

Service Attendant
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
174
Location
Rio Rancho, NM
My husband is disabled and recently acquired a service dog to help him with stability while walking and standing. We flew home with her (2 flights of 2 hours each and we changed planes at a very busy airport). The dog did very well on the flights and loved riding the airport electric cart. On Nov 26 we're flying to San Diego, taking a taxi to the Santa Fe Station, then riding the Surfliner to San Juan Capistrano where family will pick us up.

I went through the very cumbersome ordeal of making reservations just now, it took 30 minutes on the phone. I had an agent who was hard to understand and he was unfamiliar concerning a booking with a service dog. So, be warned if you're making a reservation that includes a service dog, be prepared for a long phone call with several hold times involved.

My question concerns boarding the Surfliner at San Diego Santa Fe Station. I know there's always a big line there to board the trains. Does the station have pre-boarding for disabled passengers? I asked the phone agent and he didn't know, he told me to ask at the station. I would very much like to know ahead of time for planning purposes. I booked coach tickets for more flexibility in case our flight is early or late and specified downstairs seating.

Also, since there is a lineup for boarding at that station, would we be better off getting on the train at Old Town? I'm assuming there would be less of a crowd there and the taxi or Lyft fare would be about the same from and to the airport for either station.

Thank you for any information you can provide.
 
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You'll likely have more time for boarding at the San Diego station, since that's where the train originates. I've boarded at Old Town with my elderly and disabled father, and found it rushed and stressful but doable--the train stops there only as long as needed to get passengers aboard.
 
I asked the phone agent and he didn't know, he told me to ask at the station.
Ask the station? That's a brush-off response. In my experience, it's virtually impossible to find the local phone number for any Amtrak station.
 
As others have said, San Diego Santa Fe is the origination Station so there will certainly be more time to board there no matter what.

The actual boarding process should be quite simple since you’ll be able to sit in the lower level of the Surfliner Cars which are reserved for passengers that need them, still I think it would be easier to do this at the origination station where the conductors won’t be rushing everyone.
 
Ask the station? That's a brush-off response. In my experience, it's virtually impossible to find the local phone number for any Amtrak station.
That means "The locals set their own standards" and you can't find out until it's too late or you make two trips to the station - one to ask the question and one to hope that the agent who answers it happens to be there on the day you travel - or you might find out that there is one answer for each agent.
 
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Thank you, Seat 38A, you've answered my question. I've boarded at Santa Fe Station, alone, before but don't remember seeing any elderly or disabled passengers or a special seating area. Your information sets my mind at ease. As I mentioned, my husband's service dog LOVES riding in electric carts.

A couple of posters recommended boarding at Santa Fe Depot instead of Old Town. We'll definitely do that and I'm familiar with where pax arrive by taxis at the station. I really appreciate the answers given by fellow members here. This forum is a great resource for Amtrak passengers.
 
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