In order to get a time slot during morning rush hour in the opposite direction of rush hour train traffic, Caltrans and Amtrak had to borrow an existing Metrolink slot to start up service to San Luis Obispo. As part of the deal train 761 is a joint Amtrak/Metrolink train and Metrolink tickets are accepted…

The problem with overnight service on the Coast Line isn’t lack of potential riders, it is getting cooperation from the UP and equipment from Amtrak. Just trying to get the morning train to San Luis Obispo extended to San Francisco and back has been going on for over 10 years. The best solution for overnight…

It is no secret that the old low level equipment is slow getting people on and off the train and they spend a long time at stations when a crowd shows up. …If the older equipment can’t be replaced just yet, what can be done is to add some bi-level commuter cars to low level…

The California State Automobile Association estimates that 4.2 million Californians will travel more than 50 miles this holiday weekend….About 200,000 people will travel by rail, bus, watercraft or other modes, down 12 percent from last year. Where are the extra trains to carry more people on the Holidays? NB May 29, 2012 Part 1  May 29, 2012…

VoiceofOC – ?May 15, 2012? Several OCTA board members specifically noted there is no passenger train service of any kind through the Central Valley from Los Angeles to northern California because of a “gap” between Palmdale and Bakersfield, where there is a track for freight but … May 21, 2012 Part 1   May 21, 2012…

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, a member of the Metrolink Board of Directors, issued the following statement on the announced resignation of Metrolink CEO John Fenton: “John Fenton’s resignation is a major loss for Metrolink’s riders, our taxpayers and the Board. He was the right leader to guide Metrolink through the most critical time in its history…

With tilting the Cascades were able to raise the average speed from 47 to 53 miles per hour. That is faster than any passenger trains in California and close to the fastest legal speeds by road. The plan for the Cascades is to reach speeds of110-125 miles per hour. Washington State DOT calculated that at…

Tax dollars generate economic growth when spent WISELY. On the left we see the San Diego Depot in 1995 soon after the start of Coaster service. On the right is a view 12 years later. Transportation is central to economic activity and growth. Rail service attracts jobs and business. April 30, 2012   April 30, 2012…

If the Central Valley HSR line is finished by 2017 and the San Joaquin Trains are moved to it as proposed, what happens to the stations at Wasco, Corcoran, Hanford and Madera? Will the San Joaquins be able to get to these stations from the new rail line, will new replacement stations be built or…

Amtrak is talking about overcrowding on the NEC, yet for years the load factors of the Long Distance trains like the Southwest Chief have been almost double those of all corridor trains including on the NEC. The problem is the Long Distance trains are often sold out and can’t increase capacity because of a shortage…