Amtrak to Salinas/Monterey - Thruway bus-only rules?

[Poncho]

Couple questions... traveling from the Bay Area to Salinas and Monterey via Amtrak this holiday weekend on the Coast Starlight.

Knowing that the CS is coming from Seattle and has a high likelihood of delay, I am hoping to get on a Thruway bus if the train is delayed. Will Amtrak allow a ticket change to an Amtrak Thruway bus? I know there is a crazy outdated rule preventing Thruway only travel but had heard it was eliminated (but clearly doesnt seem to be the case). Do they make exceptions for severely delayed trains to ride Thruway only?

Ideally I really want the early morning Thruway from the Bay Area to Santa Barbara timed with the Pacific Surfliner connection (so I can arrive into Salinas in the morning) but they don't sell tickets for this bus without the rail connection... this is nuts. Greyhound barely exists anymore!

Also I assume still no dining car service yet for coach passengers? Recall earlier this year they kept saying they will set it up again for coach passengers but always delay and give BS reasons.

Thanks for any updates or advice on this trip.

 

[trimetbusfan]

Couple questions... traveling from the Bay Area to Salinas and Monterey via Amtrak this holiday weekend on the Coast Starlight.

Knowing that the CS is coming from Seattle and has a high likelihood of delay, I am hoping to get on a Thruway bus if the train is delayed. Will Amtrak allow a ticket change to an Amtrak Thruway bus? I know there is a crazy outdated rule preventing Thruway only travel but had heard it was eliminated (but clearly doesnt seem to be the case). Do they make exceptions for severely delayed trains to ride Thruway only?

Ideally I really want the early morning Thruway from the Bay Area to Santa Barbara timed with the Pacific Surfliner connection (so I can arrive into Salinas in the morning) but they don't sell tickets for this bus without the rail connection... this is nuts. Greyhound barely exists anymore!

Also I assume still no dining car service yet for coach passengers? Recall earlier this year they kept saying they will set it up again for coach passengers but always delay and give BS reasons.

Thanks for any updates or advice on this trip.

I believe you still need to ride the train to or from a Thruway bus. Part of the reason because the bus is timed to meet with the train. If the train arrives late, the bus leaves late.

If you want to eat in the dining car, you’ll need to upgrade to business class or sleeper accommodations.

The Thruway bus from the Bay Area only goes to salinas, not Monterey…

From Salinas to Monterey I believe there is a public bus (not Amtrak) that you could also take relatively easily.

 

[amtkstn]

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I believe you still need to ride the train to or from a Thruway bus. Part of the reason because the bus is timed to meet with the train. If the train arrives late, the bus leaves late.

If you want to eat in the dining car, you’ll need to upgrade to business class or sleeper accommodations.

The Thruway bus from the Bay Area only goes to salinas, not Monterey…

From Salinas to Monterey I believe there is a public bus (not Amtrak) that you could also take relatively easily.

Business class riders must pay for diner meals. Breakfast and lunch is 35. Dinner is 45.

 

[Asher]

Couple questions... traveling from the Bay Area to Salinas and Monterey via Amtrak this holiday weekend on the Coast Starlight.

Knowing that the CS is coming from Seattle and has a high likelihood of delay, I am hoping to get on a Thruway bus if the train is delayed. Will Amtrak allow a ticket change to an Amtrak Thruway bus? I know there is a crazy outdated rule preventing Thruway only travel but had heard it was eliminated (but clearly doesnt seem to be the case). Do they make exceptions for severely delayed trains to ride Thruway only?

Ideally I really want the early morning Thruway from the Bay Area to Santa Barbara timed with the Pacific Surfliner connection (so I can arrive into Salinas in the morning) but they don't sell tickets for this bus without the rail connection... this is nuts. Greyhound barely exists anymore!

Also I assume still no dining car service yet for coach passengers? Recall earlier this year they kept saying they will set it up again for coach passengers but always delay and give BS reasons.

Thanks for any updates or advice on this trip.

I don’t understand your time schedule, the CSL gets to Salinas at noon and SLO at about 6pm when it’s on time.

 

[Poncho]

Thanks for the responses. Finding its surprisingly difficult to get to Monterey from the Bay Area by transit, ideally wanted to arrive in the morning but the Coast Starlight mid-day will do (just hoping its not delayed), definitely have a preference for train travel. A couple years ago Flixbus had a direct bus from SF to Monterey. Greyhound from the Bay Area to Salinas all arrive in the afternoon well after the Coast Starlight.

My plan was to use the local bus between Salinas and Monterey. Booked on the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Salinas.

It's nuts to me Amtrak still hasn't opened up the dining car to all passengers, pre-COVID used to always go for breakfast, lunch or dinner when on a long-distance train. They've been talking about doing this for 2 years and seem to be foot-dragging. It's one of the main selling points of taking the train. Makes no sense for me to get a sleeper for this short journey.

Ideally also wanted to take Caltrain from SF to San Jose then the Coast Starlight just from San Jose to Salinas but figured I needed the option to have an alternate backup taking a portion of the journey by rail (Capitol Corridor from Oakland to San Jose) so I could have the option of switching to Thruway (San Jose to Salinas) if the Coast Starlight is severely delayed. There is a combo Capitol Corridor and Thruway bus journey leaving Oakland at 8:45am and arriving 12:45pm into Salinas with a transfer in San Jose which is my backup and is only about 45 minutes later than an on-time Coast Starlight for this same journey.

The early morning Thruway I am referring to and had been hoping to catch is #4784 leaving Oakland 4:35am, arriving Salinas 7:30am, all one-seat but due to Thruway rules requires an Amtrak rail portion of the journey which is not possible at that early morning time (unless using this bus to connect to the Pacific Surfliner way south later in the afternoon).

 

[zephyr17]

It's nuts to me Amtrak still hasn't opened up the dining car to all passengers, pre-COVID used to always go for breakfast, lunch or dinner when on a long-distance train. They've been talking about doing this for 2 years and seem to be foot-dragging. It's one of the main selling points of taking the train. Makes no sense for me to get a sleeper for this short journey.

On the Starlight, Business Class has access to the diner. You can book Business for a modest amount over coach fare.

The cost of meals in the diner for BC passengers is fixed, $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch, $45 for dinner (at least those were the prices in November). Dinner includes an appetizer, dessert and one alcoholic beverage, so the $45 is not as bad as it sounds.

I am a bit confused what all the fuss is about getting from the Bay Area to Monterey. I just checked and it is quite simple to book Emeryville to Monterey. EMY-MRY is easily bookable. Either 11 to Salinas, dedicated Amtrak Thruway bus to Monterey or Capitol Corridor train 737 to San Jose, Thruway bus to Salinas, another Thruway bus to Monterey. The timing isn't ideal, the Starlight/bus connection gets you to Monterey in the early afternoon, the Capitol option in the evening and with lengthy layovers in San Jose and Salinas.