Coast Starlight
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The Coast Starlight is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States between Seattle and Los Angeles via Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. The train, which has operated continuously since Amtrak's formation in 1971, was the first to offer direct service between Seattle and Los Angeles. Its name is a combination of two prior Southern Pacific (SP) trains, the Coast Daylight and the Starlight.
During fiscal year (FY) 2024, the Coast Starlight carried 359,432 passengers, an increase of 6.3% from FY 2023.<ref name=FY1819>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In FY 2024, the train made 730 trips and 1 million train miles; it had a total revenue of $49.5 million, and operating expenses of $93.9 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
BackgroundEdit
Before the formation of Amtrak, no passenger train ran the entire length of the West Coast. The closest equivalent was the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP)'s West Coast, which ran via the San Joaquin Valley from Los Angeles to Portland from 1924 to 1949, with through cars to Seattle via the Great Northern Railway (GN).
By 1971, the SP operated just two daily trains between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area: the Los Angeles–San Francisco Coast Daylight via the Coast Line, and the Los Angeles–Oakland San Joaquin Daylight via the Central Valley. The SP also operated the tri-weekly Cascade between Oakland and Portland, Oregon. The Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) and Union Pacific Railroad ran three daily round trips between Portland and Seattle. The Santa Fe ran the San Diegan between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Amtrak eraEdit
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The Seattle–San Diego route was initially left out of plans for Railpax (later Amtrak) until protests from politicians in California, Oregon, and Washington.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> With the start of Amtrak operations on MayTemplate:Nbsp1, 1971, a single train began running between Seattle and San Diego. The unnamed train (#11/12) ran three days a week; on the other four days, another unnamed train (#98/99) ran between Oakland and Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On November 14, Amtrak extended the Oakland–Los Angeles train to San Diego, renumbered it to #12/13, and renamed it Coast Daylight. The Seattle–San Diego train became the Coast Daylight/Starlight (#11-12) northbound and Coast Starlight/Daylight (#13-14) southbound.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Both trains were cut back from San Diego to Los Angeles in April 1972, replaced by a third San Diegan.<ref name="Goldberg 1981 16–17">Template:Harvnb</ref> On JuneTemplate:Nbsp10, 1973, Amtrak began running the combined Coast Daylight/Starlight daily for the summer months.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Positive response led to Amtrak to retain this service, and the Coast Daylight name was dropped on MayTemplate:Nbsp19, 1974.<ref name="Goldberg 1981 16–17"/>
An additional train, the Spirit of California, ran the section of the route between Sacramento and Los Angeles on an overnight schedule from OctoberTemplate:Nbsp25, 1981, to SeptemberTemplate:Nbsp30, 1983.<ref name=capitol>Template:Vurek-Capitol Corridor</ref> From NovemberTemplate:Nbsp10, 1996, to OctoberTemplate:Nbsp25, 1997, through coaches were transferred between the Coast Starlight and San Diegan at Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Coast Starlight originally used the Southern Pacific West Valley Line between Tehama and Davis. That route included a stop at Orland,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but bypassed Sacramento. On AprilTemplate:Nbsp26, 1982, the train was rerouted via Roseville on the Southern Pacific Valley and Martinez Subdivisions, with stops added at Sacramento, Chico, and Marysville,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> per request from the state.<ref>Template:CA-Rail Passenger Development Plan-1984</ref><ref name=capitol /> In 1999, the Coast Starlight was rerouted onto the more direct ex-Western Pacific Sacramento Subdivision between Marysville and Sacramento, with the Marysville stop closed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Ridership declined by 26% between 1999 and 2005 as freight congestion and track maintenance on the Union Pacific Railroad reduced the Coast StarlightTemplate:'s on-time performance to 2%, which Amtrak characterized as "dismal." By mid-summer in 2006 delays of 5–11 hours were common. Critics dubbed the train the Star-late.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During early summer 2008, the Coast Starlight was relaunched with new amenities and refurbished equipment. In July 2008, refurbished Pacific Parlour cars returned to service as part of the relaunch. This was much anticipated, due to the success of Amtrak's relaunch of the Empire Builder. Between FY 2008 and FY 2009, ridership on the Coast Starlight jumped 15% from 353,657 passengers to 406,398 passengers.Template:Citation needed Operating conditions on the UP improved as well; by May 2008 on-time performance had reached 86%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Service was suspended north of Sacramento for a month in 2017 after a freight derailment damaged a bridge near Mount Shasta, California.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On FebruaryTemplate:Nbsp24, 2019, the southbound Coast Starlight struck a fallen tree near Oakridge, Oregon after a rare heavy snowstorm. The train was stranded for 36 hours before tracks could be cleared for a Union Pacific locomotive to tow the train back to Eugene–Springfield.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From OctoberTemplate:Nbsp1, 2020, to MayTemplate:Nbsp24, 2021, daily service was reduced to three trains per week due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On MayTemplate:Nbsp24, 2021, as part of its post-COVID service restorations, Amtrak restored the Coast Starlight frequency to daily service in both directions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In late June 2021, the Lava Fire seriously damaged a Union Pacific trestle on the Black Butte Subdivision between Klamath Falls, Oregon and Dunsmuir, California.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As a result, the Coast Starlight was initially split into two segments: Seattle to Klamath Falls and Sacramento to Los Angeles with a bus replacement service filling the gap between Klamath Falls and Sacramento.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, on JulyTemplate:Nbsp2, 2021, it was announced that service would be discontinued between Seattle and Sacramento until JulyTemplate:Nbsp14, 2021, with Amtrak Cascades replacing service for passengers booked between Seattle and Eugene. Through service resumed on JulyTemplate:Nbsp15 using overnight buses between Sacramento and Klamath Falls, and full-route train operation resumed on AugustTemplate:Nbsp23.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
A resurgence of the COVID-19 virus caused by the Omicron variant caused Amtrak to reduce the frequency of this route to five-weekly round trips from January to March 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Trains began running over the Point Defiance Bypass between Tacoma and DuPont, Washington starting on NovemberTemplate:Nbsp18, 2021.<ref name=Sailor2021 />
Future improvementsEdit
The 2018 California State Rail Plan, prepared by Caltrans, outlines a number of planned improvements to rail infrastructure in the state of California.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> The plan was updated in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> In 2022, the California Transportation Commission approved $7.5 million for the construction of a new station in King City to improve access to the region,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> including nearby Fort Hunter Liggett and Pinnacles National Park.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There is also a proposal in the Capitol Corridor Vision plan to improve the right-of-way shared by the Capitol Corridor and Coast Starlight between Oakland and Martinez.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> The proposal would re-route the train from along the shores of San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Strait to a new tunnel through Franklin Canyon and a right-of-way next to California State Route 4 that would reduce the trip time by several minutes.
RouteEdit
Except for two sections, most of the Coast Starlight route is on former Southern Pacific lines now owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. The Coast Starlight runs over the following lines:
- BNSF Seattle Subdivision (ex-NP, later ex-BN): Seattle, Washington to Tacoma, Washington
- Sound Transit (SDRX) Point Defiance Bypass:<ref name=Sailor2021>Template:Cite news</ref> Tacoma to DuPont, Washington
- BNSF Seattle Subdivision: DuPont to Portland, Oregon
- UP Brooklyn Subdivision: Portland to Eugene, Oregon
- UP Cascade Subdivision: Eugene to Klamath Falls, Oregon
- UP Black Butte Subdivision: Klamath Falls to Dunsmuir, California
- UP Valley Subdivision: Dunsmuir to Marysville, California
- UP Sacramento Subdivision (ex-WP):<ref name=CAschematics>Template:CA rail schematics</ref> Marysville to Sacramento, California
- UP Martinez Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> Sacramento to Oakland, California
- UP Niles Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> Oakland to Elmhurst, California
- UP Coast Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> Elmhurst to Santa Clara, California
- Caltrain (JPBX) Peninsula Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> Santa Clara to Tamien, California
- UP Coast Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> Tamien to San Luis Obispo, California
- UP Santa Barbara Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> San Luis Obispo to Moorpark, California
- Metrolink (SCAX) Ventura Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> Moorpark to Taylor Yard, Los Angeles
- Metrolink (SCAX) River Subdivision:<ref name=CAschematics /> Taylor Yard to Los Angeles Union Station
The Coast Starlight is occasionally diverted between Oakland and Los Angeles via the Central Valley and Tehachapi Pass due to track work or service disruptions on the Coast Line. These rerouted trains are popular with railfans because they use the Tehachapi Loop, which has not had regularly-scheduled passenger trains since 1971.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
StationsEdit
EquipmentEdit
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The Coast Starlight typically uses two GE P42DC or Siemens ALC-42 locomotives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The train uses double-decker Superliner equipment, including a Sightseer Lounge car that has floor-to-ceiling windows to view the passing scenery. Template:As of, a typical consist has a Viewliner baggage car, a transition sleeper, two sleeping cars, two coaches, one coach/baggage car, the lounge car, and a dining car.<ref name=2024capacity>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of, Amtrak intends to add a third coach in May 2025.<ref name=march2025>Template:Cite news</ref>
Prior to February 2018, the Coast Starlight was unique in that it included a first-class lounge car called the "Pacific Parlour Car". The cars were Budd Hi-Level Sky Lounge cars, built in 1956 for the Santa Fe's El Capitan service. Called a "living room on rails", the Parlour car offered several amenities to first-class sleeping car passengers including wireless Internet access, a full bar, a small library with books and games, an afternoon wine tasting, and a movie theater on the lower level. Sleeping car passengers could also make reservations to dine in the Parlour car, which offered a unique menu not offered in the standard dining car.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In February 2018, in a cost-cutting measure, Amtrak retired the Pacific Parlour Cars, citing the move as "part of Amtrak's ongoing work to modernize its fleet of equipment."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web
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ReferencesEdit
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