Railroad Forums 

Discussion related to commuter rail and transit operators in California past and present including Los Angeles Metrolink and Metro Subway and Light Rail, San Diego Coaster, Sprinter and MTS Trolley, Altamont Commuter Express (Stockton), Caltrain and MUNI (San Francisco), Sacramento RTD Light Rail, and others...

Moderator: lensovet

 #839761  by twropr
 
When COASTER began operating in 1995, how many trains did it schedule on a weekday? It looks like they are running 27 today (plus an additional on ballgame nights). Am interested in how much growth has taken place.

Andy
 #956789  by eaglestar
 
From what I can remember, when I used to go down to Carlsbad- Pointsettia (which used to be in the middle of some brush fields and now sports luxury condos and a coffee stand within walking distance), it used to be four down (leaving OSD at 5:30, 6, 6:30, and 7) and four back (Leaving SAN at 4, 4:30, 5, 5:30). As I see it, this allowed for four of their F40PHM's to be in service and have one being serviced at any given time.
 #1511589  by Jeff Smith
 
Pardon the <cough> dust... no other Coaster topics?

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/ ... der--57843
The North County Transit District (NCTD) of San Diego announced that earlier this year the board authorized the purchase of two additional Siemens SC-44 Charger diesel-electric locomotives, pending receipt of funding from a source that has yet to be announced.

The procurement would be part of NCTD’s plan to increase Coaster commuter-rail service frequency.

Within the 2050 Regional Plan, NCTD officials included analysis that shows adding two new trainsets would increase service frequency to 30-minute headways during peak times and 60-minute headways during the non-peak periods, according to an agency newsletter.
...
 #1511602  by ExCon90
 
Breathtaking, when you think of it: within living memory there were three San Diegan round trips a day to and from LA, making only Fullerton, Santa Ana, Oceanside, and Del Mar, plus an all-stops local, and no commuter service at all. Between Santa Ana and San Diego there were three controlled sidings (or maybe two main tracks). One San Diegan trip in each direction included a reserved-seat coach for El Capitan passengers to and from the east; the whole service appeared to be focused on Chicago connections.

Fun fact: when the Coaster service was in the planning stage the good burghers of Del Mar made it clear that they did not want commuters cluttering up their station, so the planners went north to sound out Solana Beach. The reaction there was "you want to stop your trains here? So we'll have train service, and commuters can park here, and maybe buy some things in town on their way home? Great! When can it start?" So Solana Beach became a Coaster stop, and Amtrak, in keeping with its policy of sharing stations with local transportation, announced that Amtrak trains would henceforth stop at Solana Beach instead of Del Mar since it made no sense to have two stops so close together. Del Mar travelers who had been accustomed to taking Amtrak when they went to LA were not happy, but it was too late by then.
 #1515830  by Tadman
 
ExCon90 wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:05 pm Breathtaking, when you think of it: within living memory there were three San Diegan round trips a day to and from LA, making only Fullerton, Santa Ana, Oceanside, and Del Mar, plus an all-stops local, and no commuter service at all. Between Santa Ana and San Diego there were three controlled sidings (or maybe two main tracks). One San Diegan trip in each direction included a reserved-seat coach for El Capitan passengers to and from the east; the whole service appeared to be focused on Chicago connections.
This is a really good example of how the business and environment have changed so much since 1971, 1950, 1920... look at the population explosion in So Cal. LA went from backwater to second largest and then San Diego followed, it's in the top ten cities for population I think. Responding to that with more Surfliners and new equipment has been a giant success. This is why I advocate so strongly for corridor trains and regional focus. If they tried to tie every Surfliner to a LD connection, it just wouldn't make sense, but there' what, 20m people there of their own accord that need the train.
 #1515914  by Joseph1
 
ExCon90 wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:05 pm Breathtaking, when you think of it: within living memory there were three San Diegan round trips a day to and from LA, making only Fullerton, Santa Ana, Oceanside, and Del Mar, plus an all-stops local, and no commuter service at all. Between Santa Ana and San Diego there were three controlled sidings (or maybe two main tracks). One San Diegan trip in each direction included a reserved-seat coach for El Capitan passengers to and from the east; the whole service appeared to be focused on Chicago connections.

Fun fact: when the Coaster service was in the planning stage the good burghers of Del Mar made it clear that they did not want commuters cluttering up their station, so the planners went north to sound out Solana Beach. The reaction there was "you want to stop your trains here? So we'll have train service, and commuters can park here, and maybe buy some things in town on their way home? Great! When can it start?" So Solana Beach became a Coaster stop, and Amtrak, in keeping with its policy of sharing stations with local transportation, announced that Amtrak trains would henceforth stop at Solana Beach instead of Del Mar since it made no sense to have two stops so close together. Del Mar travelers who had been accustomed to taking Amtrak when they went to LA were not happy, but it was too late by then.
I have only seen videos of how the Surf Line looked before the Coaster began service. I do remember seeing footage of the station in Del Mar that closed 24 years ago. The tracks through Solana Beach also used to be at-grade instead of in a man-made canyon. That even continued a few years after the Coaster began service.
 #1516074  by ExCon90
 
Right--I was told by a trainman that the interlocking at the west end of Solana Beach (can't think of the name) was named after a local Congressman who was instrumental in securing funding for the grade separation. As to the pre-Coaster Surf Line, there's a book out on the history of that line showing a photo of a San Diegan passing the station at Pico Rivera sometime in the 1950's--single track, with empty fields visible. Today it's three tracks, reverse signaled, with at least one stack train in sight more often than not, along with Amtrak and Metrolink trains.
 #1516398  by Joseph1
 
ExCon90 wrote: Mon Aug 05, 2019 3:47 pm Right--I was told by a trainman that the interlocking at the west end of Solana Beach (can't think of the name) was named after a local Congressman who was instrumental in securing funding for the grade separation. As to the pre-Coaster Surf Line, there's a book out on the history of that line showing a photo of a San Diegan passing the station at Pico Rivera sometime in the 1950's--single track, with empty fields visible. Today it's three tracks, reverse signaled, with at least one stack train in sight more often than not, along with Amtrak and Metrolink trains.
I don't know exactly which year the tracks were lowered. I would have to say it was in 2000 or 2001. I was only a toddler at the time, so I have only seen the tracks in the canyon.
 #1544665  by Jeff Smith
 
Don't see too much about the Coaster, but this popped up in my news feed from a couple months ago: ProgressiveRailroading.com
NCTD Coaster commuter-rail service turns 25

The North County Transit District (NCTD) tomorrow will mark 25 years of Coaster commuter-rail service in San Diego.
...
Since its 1995 launch, the service has grown from six morning trains and six evening trains to 22 weekday trains and eight weekend trains.

The commuter-rail service has an annual ridership of more than 1.4 million and an average weekday ridership of nearly 4,900 riders, NCTD officials said in a press release.
...
Last edited by lensovet on Sun Jun 07, 2020 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total. Reason: Clean up formatting
 #1548102  by Pensyfan19
 
Coaster to acquire eleven new Bombardier Bi-levels including two redesigned cab cars, similar to the new ones used on GO Transit and Sounder.

https://ajot.com/news/bombardier-signs- ... -rail-cars
atest evolution of the popular BiLevel car offers a Crash Energy Management system and new amenities designed to enhance the passenger experience
Represents third BiLevel car contract for U.S. transportation authorities this year
Global mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation has been awarded a contract with the North County Transit District (NCTD) for eleven new commuter rail cars for the COASTER service. The agreement was signed on July 7, 2020, following authorization by NCTD’s Board of Directors at its April 2020 meeting and funding by the California Transportation Commission at its June 2020 meeting. With the purchase of these rail cars, NCTD will be in a position to significantly increase service frequencies to 30-minute headways and begin state of good repair replacement of current legacy COASTER coaches and cab cars over the coming years.
 #1575717  by lpetrich
 
I decided to follow the route with Google Maps to see how much has been double-tracked. If the recent San Diego Trolley line construction is any guide, then Google is much more up-to-date than Bing or MapQuest. It's all double-track in San Diego, from the Santa Fe Depot to the big hill that it detours eastward around.

The line becomes single-track at Miramar Rd. and stays that way until it gets close to Carroll Canyon Rd. The right-of-way looks wide enough for two tracks, however.

It becomes double-track there, and and becomes single-track a bit south of the intersection of Sorrento Valley Rd. and Carmel Mountain Rd. The right-of-way becomes only a single track wide, and stays that way all the way to Solana Beach. It becomes double-track a bit south of a pedestrian overpass at Dahlia Dr., all the way to Encinitas, where it becomes single-track a bit south of E St. The right-of-way is wide enough for two tracks, however, until La Costa Ave.

Under Avenida Encinas, it becomes double-track, and in Carlsbad, it crosses a river on a double-track bridge with a single-track bridge nearby. Oceanside station is a stop for Coaster, Metrolink, Amtrak, Sprinter (Oceanside - Escondido DMU LRT), Greyhound, and plenty of local buses.

Most of the single-track parts of this line are in rights-of-way that can easily accommodate double tracks. Some of the single-track-only ROW goes in undeveloped land near rivers, and in single-track bridges across those rivers. It should be easy to widen those ROW's to double-track width add extra bridges alongside the existing ones.
 #1575719  by lpetrich
 
Continuing northward gets out of Coaster territory, but I decided to continue northward.

The track becomes single-track a bit south of Surfrider Wy., then after crossing a river, becomes double-track at Riverside Dr., crossing a river in a double-track bridge. it becomes single-track at Red Beach Project, and then double-tracked a little north of Las Pulgas Rd. ("The Fleas" in Spanish). Then single-tracked a little east of Beach Club Rd. a bit east of San Onofre Creek. Then double-tracked a little north of Pacific Highway in San Juan Capistrano / San Clemente. Then single-track for a bridge across San Juan Creek, then double-track. Then single-track at San Juan Capistrano station, and double-track a little north of Oso Creek. It is then double-track or more all the way to Los Angeles Union Station.
 #1624777  by Jeff Smith
 
https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/co ... ter-fleet/
NCTD Cutting Back Coaster Fleet

The Board of California’s North County Transit District (NCTD) on June 15 approved trimming the Coaster regional/commuter rail fleet by five legacy, Bombardier-built bi-levels and two just-delivered Siemens Chargers, and using the proceeds for project development and implementation of zero-emission rail technologies.

The recommendations were made by the NCTD staff at the public Board meeting.

The 41-mile, eight-station Coaster line runs from Oceanside to downtown San Diego with five locomotives and 28 bi-levels (see map below). Coaster connects with Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner at Oceanside, Solana Beach, Old Town Transit Center, and Santa Fe Depot in San Diego; with Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s (SCRRA) Metrolink commuter rail system at Oceanside, which provides connecting service to Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties; and with NCTD’s Sprinter hybrid rail service at Oceanside, which covers 22 miles through 15 stations between Escondido and Oceanside and includes 12 Siemens Mobility Desiro diesel multiple-unit (DMU) trainsets. It also links with San Diego Trolley and Metropolitan Transit System buses. Coaster marked 25 years of service Feb. 27, 2020.
...
There is a proposed agreement to sell five bi-levels—built in 1993 and purchased using TransNet funds—to Utah Transit Authority for $1 million ($200,000 per car), according to the staff report, which recommended finalizing negotiations. The cars (Nos. 2202, 2204, 2205, 2206 and 2207), whose original price tag was $1.5 million per car, have “reached the end of their useful life” and have not been overhauled, according to a June 15 staff presentation document, which was also obtained by Railway Age.
...