LA Metrolink to San Diego?

[lpetrich]

California High Speed Rail Blog » Will Metrolink Begin Service to San Diego?
Metrolink Service to San Diego Contemplated | Streetsblog Los Angeles

Weekday morning: Los Angeles -> San Diego, San Diego -> Fullerton
Weekday evening: San Diego -> Los Angeles, Fullerton -> San Diego
Weekday midday, night: like weekends?
Weekends: San Bernardino (IEOC line) <-> San Diego, Los Angeles <-> San Diego

Some problems with this proposal: coordination with SD Coaster, what becomes of the Amtrak Surfliners. Between Ventura and San Diego, the Surfliners serve most of the stations that the Metrolink trains do, and will it survive as an express service?

There's also the problem of the abundance of single track in the line. That will limit the amount of service that can be offered.

I'll try to find out how much from Google Maps and Bing Maps. Those sources may be out-of-date with respect to recent construction, but that's a risk that I'm willing to take.

Downtown San Diego || Old Town | Tecolote Rd. || Balboa Ave. | SR-52 || Miramar Rd. | Sorrento Valley Rd. (||) | Coast Blvd. || Camino Del Mar | Solana Beach Sta. (||) | Chesterfield Dr. || East E St. | Avenida Encinas || Cannon Rd. | Eaton St. || Surf Rider Wy. | Harbor Dr. || 14th + A St. | San Diego Fwy. || dirt road from S El Camino Real | CA Highway Patrol San Onofre Inspection Facility || Beach Club Rd. | SR-1, Pacific Hwy. || Camino Capistrano | Avery Pkwy. || Downtown Los Angeles

Both Google and Bing agree - no discrepancies that I could recognize.

What are the prospects for double-tracking any of the remaining single-track segments?

[Backshophoss]

My take on the "streetblog" story,1st, get Amtrak and the Transit District that runs the Coaster servive to buy in.
2nd,Modify some of the BBD coaches and Rotem cab cars for "LD" use from the Metrolink fleet.
3rd,Crew change at Oceanside for Metrolink/Coaster ,these trains running as ALL STOPS locals.
4th Amtrak's Surfiner service becomes limited stop expresses,LAUPT to San Diego.

Single track railroading is a challange,the entire route is CTC,a bit of creative dispatching could make it work.

[amtrakowitz]

Why would the SCRRA want to engage in a ≈120-mile intercity service that Amtrak already operates? It would be rather like Metra taking over Amtrak's Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee, which is a shorter distance albeit both intercity and interstate. Never mind overlapping with the Coaster, a county transit agency, or maybe absorbing them just to create a bigger regional bureaucracy for no reason at all.

[electricron]

Why would the SCRRA want to engage in a ≈120-mile intercity service that Amtrak already operates? It would be rather like Metra taking over Amtrak's Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee, which is a shorter distance albeit both intercity and interstate. Never mind overlapping with the Coaster, a county transit agency, or maybe absorbing them just to create a bigger regional bureaucracy for no reason at all.

I question SCRRA wisdom, but I do understand their reasons. While Amtrak may run the Surfliners under contract, it's California subsidizing it. If SCRRA believes they can find another party to run the Surfliners cheaper, like Metrolink as an example, why not use them to run the Surfliners upon the next contract renewal. The reason why I question their wisdom is because Metrolink contracts with Amtrak to run their Metrolink trains. So Amtrak will be running these trains anyways, whether or not the Surfliners have Amtrak painted on their sides, at least until the next contract renewal.
This is just a power grab by one train agency over another. And what happens to NCTA and San Diego Trolley is immaterial to what happens in L.A.

As for the Merta commuter rail taking over Amtrak Hiawatha trains, that's not as likely to happen because Merta trains are subsidized by Illinois and Hiawatha trains are subsidizing by Wisconsin. Wisconsin could decide to hire someone else to run the Hiawatha trains, not necessarily Merta. Their previous Governor tried to set this up by buying Talgo trains, planning on Talgo to maintain them. The present Governor has thrown a monkey wrench into these plans, preferring to lease Amtrak trains and allowing Amtrak to run and maintain them. Merta wasn't even in consideration to run and maintain the Hiawatha trains.

All state subsidized trains ran by Amtrak today could survive with the states contracting with other parties instead of Amtrak to run and maintain their trains in the future. If Amtrak wants to keep these state subsidized trains, it's up to Amtrak to offer a winning bid.

[amtrakowitz]

Neither SCRRA nor Metrolink is its own railroad. Right now, Amtrak even operates Metrolink service, Veolia no longer having the contract. Makes no sense to bother adding a layer of bureaucracy and less-comfortable equipment to existing service between LA and SD.

[Backshophoss]

Metrolink(SCAX) owns part of it's network and leases part of it from UP and BNSF.
SCAX own and controls the Fullerton-County Line route ,has trackage rights to Oceanside on
SDNR(Coaster)and share the Stuart Mesa yard and shop facilty.
SCAX and SDNR operate jointly with SCAX dispatching the entire route,LAUPT to San Diego.
(back in 1997 according to an outdated ETT)

[electricron]

Neither SCRRA nor Metrolink is its own railroad. Right now, Amtrak even operates Metrolink service, Veolia no longer having the contract. Makes no sense to bother adding a layer of bureaucracy and less-comfortable equipment to existing service between LA and SD.

Actually, they would not be eliminating a layer of bureaucracy.
Today > State > Amtrak > Surfliner
If the changes occur > SCRRA > Amtrak > Surfliner

As I wrote before, it's a power struggle over who ultimately controls and subsidizes Surfliner.