Coast Starlight discussion

[desertflyer]

Trains are still running to SLO and then I'm considering a bus from there to SJC for a Caltrain connection. Unfortunately I have a giant long skateboard, 3 bottles of wine, and a six pack of specialty beer I'm trying to get back to SF with me.

 

[desertflyer]

Drone footage from around Watsonville Junction from Facebook's Coast Starlight group. (don't know how visible this will be).
<iframe src="Facebook" width="500" height="418" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

This is the Starlight route through Watsonville??

 

[allanorn]

More rain predicted for Tuesday!

NWS in Oxnard saying 2-4" for the coasts, locally 5" along the CS/Surfliner route. Some wind but no excessive rain rates in the forecast... yet. Tomorrow will be a key day when the short-range models start kicking in.

Trains are still running to SLO and then I'm considering a bus from there to SJC for a Caltrain connection. Unfortunately I have a giant long skateboard, 3 bottles of wine, and a six pack of specialty beer I'm trying to get back to SF with me.

You might be able to get through tomorrow but be prepared for a late Surfliner or bus cancel if the atmospheric river is faster than forecast.

 

[TinCan782]

This is the Starlight route through Watsonville??

Yes, that is Watsonville Junction. The curve is the track.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/W...8m2!3d36.8949536!4d-121.7457829!16s/m/048pg0s

 

[allanorn]

Yes, that is Watsonville Junction. The curve is the track.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/W...8m2!3d36.8949536!4d-121.7457829!16s/m/048pg0s

Oh yeah. That looks familiar now; that's between the San Jose and Salinas stations.

CS is unlikely to run south of EMY for a while.

 

[desertflyer]

NWS in Oxnard saying 2-4" for the coasts, locally 5" along the CS/Surfliner route. Some wind but no excessive rain rates in the forecast... yet. Tomorrow will be a key day when the short-range models start kicking in.


You might be able to get through tomorrow but be prepared for a late Surfliner or bus cancel if the atmospheric river is faster than forecast.

Taking my chances and hoping I don't get stuck in SLO. Hope the Starlight is back up and running soon.

 

[allanorn]

Taking my chances and hoping I don't get stuck in SLO. Hope the Starlight is back up and running soon.

Good luck. With the track in Watsonville under water due to a levee failure and the upcoming storm in a couple of days - CS probably isn't running south of EMY this week at a minimum.

 

[Willbridge]

I was stationed at Fort Ord in winter 1969 and Watsonville had similar problems. On the Saturday after the line re-opened I rode the Del Monte into SF and in that stretch the rails were just above water. On both sides of the train there were "lakes."

 

[desertflyer]

Lots of people on Surfliner 761 today were originally booked on CS 14, which makes sense. I think I was the only one who made the connection from the Sunset Limited, though, since we had a near trespasser strike just outside of Pomona, adding to our delay. I had about 10 minutes to sprint through LA Union Station.

It's too bad the Starlight can't detour around the coast route.

 

[desertflyer]

Even after a sizable storm Tuesday, progress has been made on repairing the levee in Parajo, CA. Now Amtrak will just have to wait for UP to repair the washed out tracks before beginning service again. Of note, I think it's strange that Amtrak has just cancelled the train without putting out a Service Alert.

Here's a local news report with some footage of the washout.

 

[TinCan782]

Of note, I think it's strange that Amtrak has just cancelled the train without putting out a Service Alert.

There were several Amtrak Alerts for both 11 and 14 on Twitter on Monday, 3/13. There may be more.

 

[desertflyer]

There were several Amtrak Alerts for both 11 and 14 on Twitter on Monday, 3/15. There may be more.

They did alerts on Twitter but none on their own website, which I find odd. Service Alerts & Notices | Amtrak

 

[AmtrakBlue]

They did alerts on Twitter but none on their own website, which I find odd. Service Alerts & Notices | Amtrak

The website only shows the last 24 hours. Had you checked yesterday or Monday?

 

[desertflyer]

I don't know how to view past days of service alerts, and now I regret bringing it up.

 

[TinCan782]

The website only shows the last 24 hours. Had you checked yesterday or Monday?

Only 24 hours? Interesting because this is an ongoing situation then, today and likely the next few (or more) days.
There is a tab there which takes you to the alerts posted on Twitter.
I find Amtraks website difficult, if not impossible, to find relavant alerts/status reports.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Only 24 hours? Interesting because this is an ongoing situation then, today and likely the next few (or more) days.
There is a tab there which takes you to the alerts posted on Twitter.
I find Amtraks website difficult, if not impossible, to find relavant alerts/status reports.

I kept hitting the Load More and it stopped at the 24 hr mark

 

[GDRRiley]

It's too bad the Starlight can't detour around the coast route.

Amtrak has at times been able to get reroutes though the central valley and over Tehachapi but that hasn't happened in 4-5 years.

Here's a local news report with some footage of the washout.
View attachment 31705

Going to take UP some time to get that track structure rebuilt. I'd expect at least 1 week after the worst of the water is gone.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Amtrak has at times been able to get reroutes though the central valley and over Tehachapi but that hasn't happened in 4-5 years.

Going to take UP some time to get that track structure rebuilt. I'd expect at least 1 week after the worst of the water is gone.

Plus the Central Valley has it own issues. I know the San Joaquins had some interruptions this week

 

[Cal]

Amtrak has at times been able to get reroutes though the central valley and over Tehachapi but that hasn't happened in 4-5 years.

Was supposed to happen in August of 2021, however the burned bridge in the north caused the entire train to be delayed rather having two major disruptions.

 

[zephyr17]

14(18) sighted with a Siemens ALC-42 leading at Canby, OR.


11(19) sighted with a BNSF unit leading a bit south of Oregon City, OR.

 

[allanorn]

Going to take UP some time to get that track structure rebuilt. I'd expect at least 1 week after the worst of the water is gone.

Apparently running today through Salinas Valley, so either they are detouring or got everything rebuilt.

The next two days may put it out of commission south of EMY for a few days as more water is on the way, apparently targeting the central coast and Southern California. SAN may actually get some of the worst of this storm so delays on the Surfliner may be possible as well.

Adding: short-term models look like a "bomb cyclone" landfall near Monterey and Salinas.

 

[GDRRiley]

Apparently running today through Salinas Valley, so either they are detouring or got everything rebuilt.

The next two days may put it out of commission south of EMY for a few days as more water is on the way, apparently targeting the central coast and Southern California. SAN may actually get some of the worst of this storm so delays on the Surfliner may be possible as well.

That sounds like its back open.
I know UP ran a freight on the 20th from LA northbound. it still had cars in Oxnard not sure how much farther north it was going

 

[desertflyer]

The line reopened between Salinas and San Jose on March 18th. Fairly impressive considering the damage. Meanwhile, the San Joaquins is still still struggling with flooding between Bakersfield and Hanford off and on, so Starlight service is quite important for passenger movement.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The line reopened between Salinas and San Jose on March 18th. Fairly impressive considering the damage. Meanwhile, the San Joaquins is still still struggling with flooding between Bakersfield and Hanford off and on, so Starlight service is quite important for passenger movement.

Except when, starting tomorrow, the CS's connection to the TE/SL is broken. I moved from the CS to the bus-SJ-bus route when I learned my connection in April was broken. Fingers crossed with the San Joaquins (though I THINK they're busing around the flood??)

 

[desertflyer]

Except when, starting tomorrow, the CS's connection to the TE/SL is broken. I moved from the CS to the bus-SJ-bus route when I learned my connection in April was broken. Fingers crossed with the San Joaquins (though I THINK they're busing around the flood??)

They were busing around the flood. Some people missed connections to the Southwest Chief because of delays with the buses, but you should have more buffer to the Sunset Limited.