Coast Starlight Through Valley

[Tom]

How's this for an idea- have the Starlight run through the San Joaquin Valley regularly and have a separate SF/Sacramento-LA train? Last week when it detoured through the valley, it departed SAC 1 hr late and arrived at 5:30, which means it's 5 hrs faster. This could mean an earlier departure time for the Sunset when it does go back to its old schedule, leaving at 7 or so instead of 10:30. I know the line through Tech. Pass is congested, but with a little double-tracking, it could work. Comments?

 

[battalion51]

Getting BNSF to buy into it would be hard, since that route is fairly congested IIRC. Someone would have to put up the cash for capacity improvments, which in CA isn't out of the question, but it'd be a big hump to cross. They also could very easily run a daylight train up the Coast, basically just extend 798 and 799, it'd only require 1 extra Horizon set. The big hump in all this $$$!

 

[AmtrakFan]

BNSF wouldn't allow it in our lifetime the line is so busy. I was at Tehachapi in 2001 when the economy was still in the toliet and I saw 13 Trains in 1 Hour. 798/799 extention would have to be paid by the state of CA but they have the Horizon's to do it.

 

[PRR 60]

BNSF wouldn't allow it in our lifetime the line is so busy.    I was at Tehachapi in 2001 when the economy was still in the toliet and I saw 13 Trains in 1 Hour.    798/799 extention would have to be paid by the state of CA but they have the Horizon's to do it.

Tehachapi is owned and dispatched by the Union Pacific. BNSF has trackage rights. The UP has final say on what goes over the pass and last weekend's move was a one-time deal solely to move David Gunn's private car to LA.

 

[battalion51]

Well actually it was to get that entire set to LA after the trackwork between San Jose and Oakland.

 

[Trogdor]

Well actually it was to get that entire set to LA after the trackwork between San Jose and Oakland.

There wasn't really a big hurry to get the trainset to LAX, though, and it could have waited an extra day. Amtrak had a fifth Starlight set made up to protect the route during the track work. In fact, in addition to David Gunn's train 11, there was also a train 1011 that operated from San Jose to Los Angeles that day. Worst-case scenario, they'd use train 1011's equipment, and have a double-length Starlight operate to LAX the next day.

 

[gswager]

CA is planning to build a high speed rail between SAC/SFO and LAX and further down to San Diego. Due to severe CA budget crisis, that plan is on hold for the next few years. It has two options to lay the tracks between the LAUS and Bakersfield. Here's the details: CA High Speed Rail.