Amtrak

Not only is SoCal’s regional rail falling off a literal cliff, but it’s also facing a fiscal one

Eliminating new concourse and loop track would shave nearly a billion dollars from L.A.'s needed Union Station re-vamp

It has been a while since I last wrote about the Pacific Surfliner and the process of it transitioning to local management.

I grew up in Central Washington State and when I recently learned my autistic nephew was about to graduate I determined to witness this important family milestone by travelling north. And in the process also experience something I have long been curious about: sleeping car service on Amtrak long distance routes. I have ridden coach on the Coast Starlight (Amtrak's route between Los Angeles and Seattle) previously up the coast for two round trips and have vivid memories of what that was like. It is widely seen as one of the more scenic routes operated by Amtrak.

For those that missed it in Today's Headlines or the follow-up on Curbed, we bring some good news. Amtrak California modified its plans to require a $5 fee for bicycles to ride on the Pacific Surfliner trains, a fee that would have basically ended bike to train commuting for the handful of people who choose that particular commute. However, the agency is still requiring a reservation to insure that there is sufficient space on their trains.

Starting on June 1, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service connecting San Luis Obispo to San Diego by way of Los Angeles is adopting a new policy that will make life harder for anyone planning on biking to or from the train. The policy is so onerous for bicycle commuters, one has to assume it's intentional.

Let it be known: Amtrak is the fastest!

With much ballyhoo two years ago Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner converted one of its morning trips between San Diego to Los Angeles into an express, removing stops to reduce running time.

For the past two years, Amtrak has been under constant attack from House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica (R-FL), who has used his gavel to bully the rail company. He likes to call it a “Soviet-style” monopoly and he goads it for losing money on everything from long-distance routes to food service. His vitriolic diatribes against Amtrak have become white noise, and they’re about to fade into the background as Mica surrenders his post to Rep. Bill Shuster next year.