Coast Starlight
Encyclopedia
The Coast Starlight is a passenger train operated by Amtrak
on the West Coast of the United States
. It runs 1377 miles (2,216.1 km) from King Street Station
in Seattle, Washington, to Union Station
in Los Angeles
, California
. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast Daylight and the Starlight. These were two of SP's numerous Coast Line trains.
Major station stops along the route between Seattle and Los Angeles are; Portland
and Eugene
, Oregon, and Sacramento
, Emeryville
(for San Francisco
), Oakland
, San Jose
, San Luis Obispo, California
, and Santa Barbara
, California.
During fiscal year 2010, the Coast Starlight carried a total of 444,205 passengers, an increase of 2.7% from FY 2009's total of 432,565 passengers. The train had a total revenue of $37,404,114 during FY 2010, a 14.6% increase from FY 2009's $32,637,793 total.
, which ran from Los Angeles
to Portland
, with Through car service to Seattle
via Great Northern Railway. The primary difference between the West Coast and the Coast Starlight was the West Coast traveled via the San Joaquin Valley
instead of the Pacific coast
. The Southern Pacific Railroad
operated the Coast Daylight between Los Angeles
and San Francisco
and the Cascade between Oakland
and Portland
. The Southern Pacific also ran several overnight trains between Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay area - the all-sleeping car Lark
on the coast route and the mixed coach and Pullman Owl on the San Joaquin Valley line. Service from Portland north to Seattle was provided by the Union Pacific, Northern Pacific Railroad or Great Northern Railway. After the 1970 merger of the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific into the Burlington Northern Railroad
, service was provided by the Burlington Northern. Service south from Los Angeles to San Diego
was provided by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
's San Diegan
s.
With the start of Amtrak operations on May 1, 1971, a single route was formed between Los Angeles and Seattle—and for a few months between San Diego and Seattle. The unnamed train ran three days a week; on the other four days (northbound Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and southbound Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) another unnamed train ran between Los Angeles and Oakland (initially assigned 98 northbound and 99 southbound). Additional service was also provided between San Diego and Los Angeles and between Portland and Seattle (those became the San Diegan and Mount Rainier/Puget Sound on November 14). In the November 14, 1971 timetable, the LA-Oakland train received the Coast Daylight name that the SP had used for its LA-San Francisco train, and was extended to San Diego and assigned numbers 12 and 13. The San Diego-Seattle train received the new name Coast Starlight and became trains 11 and 14.
A few years later, the Coast Daylight was merged into the Coast Starlight, which was expanded to run every day. The Coast Starlight has since been truncated to Los Angeles, though frequent Pacific Surfliner service continues south. For a couple of years in the mid-nineties, the Coast Starlight sent 2 through coach cars from Los Angeles to San Diego as the last Pacific Surfliner
train of the evening (#511). The coaches were then coupled onto the first morning train back to Los Angeles where they were re-coupled to the remainder of the Coast Starlight for the journey to Seattle. This was later discontinued because of the timekeeping unreliability of train #11. Instead, if train #11 arrives into Los Angeles prior to the final Surfliner departure, through passengers to Orange County and San Diego will take the connecting Surfliner train, otherwise passengers will be provided motor coach transportation to destinations south of Los Angeles (the motor coach option typically occurs with greater frequency than the train).
Until April 25, 1982 the Coast Starlight used Southern Pacific Railroad's
"West Valley Line" between Tehama
and Davis, California
with a stop in Orland
, bypassing Sacramento
to the west. At that time it was rerouted to the line between Tehama and Roseville
, east of Sacramento via Chico. In southern California, the Starlight had a stop in Glendale
. This was later replaced with the current stop in Van Nuys which, unlike Glendale, has Amtrak staff for checking baggage. (Glendale USED to have an Amtak ticketing office, until Amtrak discontinued the Coast Starlight's stop there.)
On January 19, 2008, Amtrak suspended all service on the Coast Starlight on account of mudslides in the Chemult, Oregon
area. On February 6, 2008, Amtrak restored rail service between Los Angeles
and Sacramento, then filled the service gap between Sacramento and Seattle
with Thruway Motorcoach
service starting February 29. As Of April 15, 2008, Amtrak restored much of the Coast Starlight service, with a temporary Thruway Motorcoach line running between Eugene
and Klamath Falls
. Because of the significantly shorter route, the Starlight north of Eugene temporarily operated without sleeper and diner services, with only coach class available to passengers, but checked baggage service was still available. As of May 7, 2008, full service between Seattle and Los Angeles through Oregon was restored.
In recent years, the train acquired the nickname "Coast Starlate" because of its abysmal on-time record. From October 2005 through August 2006 the train delivered its passengers on-time only 2% of the time, with trains consistently running 5 to 11 hours behind schedule. This performance is likely a factor in the 26% drop in ridership between 1999 and 2005. Union Pacific Railroad
(UP), who handles traffic on the route, and local rail groups dispute the causes of the poor performance. Rail groups blame Union Pacific for giving priority to freight traffic, while UP cites ongoing track repairs, among other issues. Recently, Union Pacific has been giving Amtrak priority on its tracks. According to Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham, the "Coast Starlight" was on-schedule 86% of the time in May 2008. Between October 2009 and September 2010, the Coast Starlight arrived on-time at its final destination 91.2% of the time. In comparison, the Department of Transportation
reports that national airlines ran on schedule 74% of the time from April 2007 to April 2008.
During early summer 2008, the Coast Starlight was relaunched with new amenities and refurbished equipment. As of July 2008, the Pacific Parlour cars have been refurbished and are back in service as part of the relaunch. This was much anticipated, due to the vast success of Amtrak's "re-launches" of the Empire Builder
(Chicago-Seattle) and Empire Builder-Portland (Chicago-Portland). Between FY2008 and FY2009, ridership on the Coast Starlight has jumped 15% from 353,657 passengers to 406,398 passengers.
In the January 2011 issue of Trains Magazine, this route was listed as one of five routes to be looked at by Amtrak in FY 2012 and examined like previous routes (Sunset, Eagle, Zephyr, Capitol, and Cardinal) were examined in FY 2010.
I & II equipment, including a Sightseer Lounge car that has floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the passing scenery. The Coast Starlight is the only train on the Amtrak system that features a first-class-only Pacific Parlour lounge car, (formerly Santa Fe Hi-Level Sky Lounge cars, built in 1956 for ATSF's "El Capitan" service). This car offers amenities to sleeping-car passengers, such as complimentary beverages, a library and games, a formerly free afternoon wine tasting and a movie theater in the lower level. For children, play equipment and other distractions are provided in the Arcade Room (formerly Kiddie Car). Baggage is placed in a Heritage
Baggage Car. Rarely, Amfleet
cars may be added to the train.
The locomotives typically used on the Coast Starlight are part of Amtrak's mainstay fleet, the GE P42DC AMD-103 Genesis series. Secondary locomotives that are occasionally utilized are some of Amtrak's GE P32-8 (Dash 8)
locomotives. In the past, EMD F40PH
, SDP40F
, FP7
, and leased Southern Pacific
SDP45
locomotives were used.
In rare cases, EMD F59PHI locomotives from the Amtrak Surfliner
and Cascades
routes, as well as Amtrak California
, are used. On even rarer occasions, Caltrain
EMD F40PH
and MPI MP36PH-3C
locomotives are used on the Coast Starlight, either as substitutes or while being transported to or from repair jobs. Sound Transit
's Sounder commuter rail
locomotives were also used on the route.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
on the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. It runs 1377 miles (2,216.1 km) from King Street Station
King Street Station (Seattle)
King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington. Located between South King and South Jackson streets and Second and Fourth Avenue South in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, the station is just south of downtown...
in Seattle, Washington, to Union Station
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast Daylight and the Starlight. These were two of SP's numerous Coast Line trains.
Major station stops along the route between Seattle and Los Angeles are; Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Oregon, and Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, Emeryville
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
(for San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
), Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
, and Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California.
During fiscal year 2010, the Coast Starlight carried a total of 444,205 passengers, an increase of 2.7% from FY 2009's total of 432,565 passengers. The train had a total revenue of $37,404,114 during FY 2010, a 14.6% increase from FY 2009's $32,637,793 total.
Route
- BNSF Seattle Subdivision (ex-NPNorthern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
, later ex-BNBurlington Northern RailroadThe Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
), Seattle to Portland - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Brooklyn SubdivisionBrooklyn SubdivisionThe Brooklyn Subdivision is a Union Pacific Railroad line stretching from Portland, Oregon, south to Oakridge, Oregon, in the foothills of the Cascade Range. The line was originally completed by the Southern Pacific Railroad on December 31, 1900....
(ex-SPSouthern Pacific RailroadThe Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
), Portland to Oakridge - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Cascade SubdivisionCascade SubdivisionThe Southern Pacific Railroad’s Pengra Pass route connecting Portland, Oregon with San Francisco, California was completed in 1926. Hauling the trains over the Cascade Mountains would be the answer to problems with huge amounts of curvature and very steep grades dictated by the old line down the...
(ex-SP), Oakridge to Klamath Falls - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Black Butte Subdivision (ex-SP), Klamath Falls to Dunsmuir - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Valley Subdivision (ex-SP), Dunsmuir to MarysvilleMarysville, CaliforniaMarysville is the county seat of Yuba County, California, United States. The population was 12,072 at the 2010 census, down from 12,268 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area, often referred to as the Yuba-Sutter Area after the two counties, Yuba and... - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Sacramento Subdivision (ex-WPWestern Pacific RailroadThe Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
/ex-SP), Marysville to SacramentoSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Martinez Subdivision (ex-SP), Sacramento to OaklandOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724... - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Niles Subdivision (ex-SP), Oakland to ElmhurstElmhurst, Oakland, CaliforniaElmhurst is a residential neighborhood in the southernmost part of Oakland, California. Originally a separate town, it was annexed by Oakland in 1909, and today is considered part of East Oakland. It lies at an elevation of 39 feet... - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Coast Subdivision (ex-SP), Elmhurst to San Luis Obispo - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
Santa Barbara Subdivision (ex-SP), San Luis Obispo to Moorpark - UPUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
/Metrolink (SCAX)Metrolink (Southern California)Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
Ventura Subdivision/Ventura County Line (ex-SP), Moorpark to Taylor Yard - Metrolink (SCAX)Metrolink (Southern California)Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
River SubdivisionRiver SubdivisionThe River Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. The line runs from the CSX North Bergen Yard, New Jersey north to Selkirk, New York along a former New York Central Railroad line.-History:...
, Taylor Yard to Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal
History
Before the formation of Amtrak, no single passenger train ran the length of the West Coast. The closest equivalent was Southern Pacific Railroad's West CoastWest Coast (passenger train)
The West Coast was a named train of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Los Angeles to Portland via the San Joaquin Valley. It had through car service to Seattle via the Great Northern Railway...
, which ran from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, with Through car service to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
via Great Northern Railway. The primary difference between the West Coast and the Coast Starlight was the West Coast traveled via the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
instead of the Pacific coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
. The Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
operated the Coast Daylight between Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and the Cascade between Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The Southern Pacific also ran several overnight trains between Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay area - the all-sleeping car Lark
Lark (passenger train)
The Lark was an overnight passenger train of the Southern Pacific Company on the 470-mile run between San-Francisco and Los-Angeles. It became a streamliner on July 10, 1941 and was discontinued in April 1968...
on the coast route and the mixed coach and Pullman Owl on the San Joaquin Valley line. Service from Portland north to Seattle was provided by the Union Pacific, Northern Pacific Railroad or Great Northern Railway. After the 1970 merger of the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific into the Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
, service was provided by the Burlington Northern. Service south from Los Angeles to San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
was provided by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
's San Diegan
San Diegan
The San Diegan was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and a "workhorse" of the railroad. Its 126-mile route ran from Los Angeles, California south to San Diego. It was assigned train Nos. 70–79 The San Diegan was one of the named passenger trains of the...
s.
With the start of Amtrak operations on May 1, 1971, a single route was formed between Los Angeles and Seattle—and for a few months between San Diego and Seattle. The unnamed train ran three days a week; on the other four days (northbound Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and southbound Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) another unnamed train ran between Los Angeles and Oakland (initially assigned 98 northbound and 99 southbound). Additional service was also provided between San Diego and Los Angeles and between Portland and Seattle (those became the San Diegan and Mount Rainier/Puget Sound on November 14). In the November 14, 1971 timetable, the LA-Oakland train received the Coast Daylight name that the SP had used for its LA-San Francisco train, and was extended to San Diego and assigned numbers 12 and 13. The San Diego-Seattle train received the new name Coast Starlight and became trains 11 and 14.
A few years later, the Coast Daylight was merged into the Coast Starlight, which was expanded to run every day. The Coast Starlight has since been truncated to Los Angeles, though frequent Pacific Surfliner service continues south. For a couple of years in the mid-nineties, the Coast Starlight sent 2 through coach cars from Los Angeles to San Diego as the last Pacific Surfliner
Pacific Surfliner
The Pacific Surfliner is a Amtrak regional passenger train route serving communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo....
train of the evening (#511). The coaches were then coupled onto the first morning train back to Los Angeles where they were re-coupled to the remainder of the Coast Starlight for the journey to Seattle. This was later discontinued because of the timekeeping unreliability of train #11. Instead, if train #11 arrives into Los Angeles prior to the final Surfliner departure, through passengers to Orange County and San Diego will take the connecting Surfliner train, otherwise passengers will be provided motor coach transportation to destinations south of Los Angeles (the motor coach option typically occurs with greater frequency than the train).
Until April 25, 1982 the Coast Starlight used Southern Pacific Railroad's
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
"West Valley Line" between Tehama
Tehama, California
Tehama is a city in Tehama County, California, United States. The population was 418 at the 2010 census, down from 432 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tehama is located at ....
and Davis, California
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
with a stop in Orland
Orland, California
Orland is a city in Glenn County, California. The population was 7,291 at the 2010 census, up from 6,281 at the 2000 census, making Orland the most populous city in Glenn County. Orland is located north of Willows, at an elevation of 259 feet . Interstate 5, passes west of the downtown area while...
, bypassing Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
to the west. At that time it was rerouted to the line between Tehama and Roseville
Roseville, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...
, east of Sacramento via Chico. In southern California, the Starlight had a stop in Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. This was later replaced with the current stop in Van Nuys which, unlike Glendale, has Amtrak staff for checking baggage. (Glendale USED to have an Amtak ticketing office, until Amtrak discontinued the Coast Starlight's stop there.)
On January 19, 2008, Amtrak suspended all service on the Coast Starlight on account of mudslides in the Chemult, Oregon
Chemult, Oregon
Chemult is an unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States, on U.S. Route 97. Chemult has a population of about 300 people. Chemult's elevation is ....
area. On February 6, 2008, Amtrak restored rail service between Los Angeles
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
and Sacramento, then filled the service gap between Sacramento and Seattle
King Street Station (Seattle)
King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington. Located between South King and South Jackson streets and Second and Fourth Avenue South in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, the station is just south of downtown...
with Thruway Motorcoach
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Thruway Motorcoach is Amtrak's system of Amtrak-owned intercity coaches, locally contracted transit buses, through-ticketed local bus routes and taxi services to connect Amtrak train stations to areas not served by its railroads...
service starting February 29. As Of April 15, 2008, Amtrak restored much of the Coast Starlight service, with a temporary Thruway Motorcoach line running between Eugene
Eugene (Amtrak station)
The Eugene Depot is an Amtrak train station in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It is served by the Coast Starlight passenger train and is the southern terminus of the Amtrak Cascades.-History:...
and Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
. Because of the significantly shorter route, the Starlight north of Eugene temporarily operated without sleeper and diner services, with only coach class available to passengers, but checked baggage service was still available. As of May 7, 2008, full service between Seattle and Los Angeles through Oregon was restored.
In recent years, the train acquired the nickname "Coast Starlate" because of its abysmal on-time record. From October 2005 through August 2006 the train delivered its passengers on-time only 2% of the time, with trains consistently running 5 to 11 hours behind schedule. This performance is likely a factor in the 26% drop in ridership between 1999 and 2005. Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(UP), who handles traffic on the route, and local rail groups dispute the causes of the poor performance. Rail groups blame Union Pacific for giving priority to freight traffic, while UP cites ongoing track repairs, among other issues. Recently, Union Pacific has been giving Amtrak priority on its tracks. According to Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham, the "Coast Starlight" was on-schedule 86% of the time in May 2008. Between October 2009 and September 2010, the Coast Starlight arrived on-time at its final destination 91.2% of the time. In comparison, the Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
reports that national airlines ran on schedule 74% of the time from April 2007 to April 2008.
During early summer 2008, the Coast Starlight was relaunched with new amenities and refurbished equipment. As of July 2008, the Pacific Parlour cars have been refurbished and are back in service as part of the relaunch. This was much anticipated, due to the vast success of Amtrak's "re-launches" of the Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
(Chicago-Seattle) and Empire Builder-Portland (Chicago-Portland). Between FY2008 and FY2009, ridership on the Coast Starlight has jumped 15% from 353,657 passengers to 406,398 passengers.
In the January 2011 issue of Trains Magazine, this route was listed as one of five routes to be looked at by Amtrak in FY 2012 and examined like previous routes (Sunset, Eagle, Zephyr, Capitol, and Cardinal) were examined in FY 2010.
Equipment
The train uses Amtrak's double-decker SuperlinerSuperliner (railcar)
The Superliner is a double decker passenger car used by Amtrak on long haul trains that do not use the Northeast Corridor. The initial cars were built by Pullman-Standard in the late 1970s and a second order was built in the mid 1990s by Bombardier Transportation...
I & II equipment, including a Sightseer Lounge car that has floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the passing scenery. The Coast Starlight is the only train on the Amtrak system that features a first-class-only Pacific Parlour lounge car, (formerly Santa Fe Hi-Level Sky Lounge cars, built in 1956 for ATSF's "El Capitan" service). This car offers amenities to sleeping-car passengers, such as complimentary beverages, a library and games, a formerly free afternoon wine tasting and a movie theater in the lower level. For children, play equipment and other distractions are provided in the Arcade Room (formerly Kiddie Car). Baggage is placed in a Heritage
Heritage Fleet
Heritage Fleet was a program started by Amtrak in 1977 to convert its older, mainly streamlined, cars from steam heating to head end power. Head end power conversions were performed at Amtrak's heavy repair center in Beech Grove, Indiana, outside of Indianapolis...
Baggage Car. Rarely, Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
cars may be added to the train.
The locomotives typically used on the Coast Starlight are part of Amtrak's mainstay fleet, the GE P42DC AMD-103 Genesis series. Secondary locomotives that are occasionally utilized are some of Amtrak's GE P32-8 (Dash 8)
GE Dash 8-32BWH
The GE Dash 8-32BWH, also known as the P32-8WH or B32-8WH, is a modern diesel-electric passenger train locomotive used by Amtrak. It is based on GE's Dash 8 series of freight train locomotives....
locomotives. In the past, EMD F40PH
EMD F40PH
-Amtrak NPCU Conversions:In later years, as Amtrak's F40PH fleet was being replaced by the newer GE Genesis-series locomotives, Amtrak converted a number of the retired units—generally ones with major mechanical problems limiting their value in the resale or lease marketplace—into "Non-Power...
, SDP40F
EMD SDP40F
The EMD SDP40F was a 6-axle Diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division from 1973 for Amtrak service. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 16-cylinder turbocharged Diesel engine, which generated 3000 tractive horsepower .-Origins:The SDP40F was the first locomotive...
, FP7
EMD FP7
The EMD FP7 was a , B-B dual-service passenger and freight-hauling diesel locomotive produced between June 1949 and December 1953 by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant, excepting locomotives destined for...
, and leased Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
SDP45
EMD SDP45
The EMD SDP45 was a six-axle, C-C, diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. It was fundamentally a passenger-hauling version of the SD45 on a stretched locomotive frame and with an extended, squared-off long hood at the rear, aft of the radiators,...
locomotives were used.
In rare cases, EMD F59PHI locomotives from the Amtrak Surfliner
Pacific Surfliner
The Pacific Surfliner is a Amtrak regional passenger train route serving communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo....
and Cascades
Amtrak Cascades
The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada...
routes, as well as Amtrak California
Amtrak California
Amtrak California is a brand name used by the Caltrans Division of Rail for all state-supported Amtrak rail routes within the U.S. State of California...
, are used. On even rarer occasions, Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
EMD F40PH
EMD F40PH
-Amtrak NPCU Conversions:In later years, as Amtrak's F40PH fleet was being replaced by the newer GE Genesis-series locomotives, Amtrak converted a number of the retired units—generally ones with major mechanical problems limiting their value in the resale or lease marketplace—into "Non-Power...
and MPI MP36PH-3C
MPI MP36PH-3C
MPXpress is a series of diesel-electric passenger train locomotives designed for commuter rail service. The manufacturer, Motive Power , offers the locomotives with a number of customizable options such as different prime movers and traction motors, head end power generated by a separate engine or...
locomotives are used on the Coast Starlight, either as substitutes or while being transported to or from repair jobs. Sound Transit
Sound Transit
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
's Sounder commuter rail
Sounder Commuter Rail
Sounder commuter rail is a regional rail service operated by BNSF on behalf of Sound Transit. Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Tacoma. As of 2011, schedules serve the traditional peak commutes, with most trains running...
locomotives were also used on the route.