Lockers at the Sacramento Amtrak station?

[forgetwho]

I'll be changing trains in Sacramento with a ten-hour layover. Are there lockers in the station? Or if not, is there a way to check baggage in the station just for the day?

 

[GoldenSpike]

I'll be changing trains in Sacramento with a ten-hour layover. Are there lockers in the station? Or if not, is there a way to check baggage in the station just for the day?

No lockers.

But they will hold your bags. They usually charge $3 per piece. One way to cut down this cost is pack items you don't need enroute and check the bags in. For those they hold for you, I let them keep them until about 15 min. before departure to avoid weighing me down keeping an eye on them.

Some day Amtrak will have a consistent policy for sleeper pax system-wide. Hold for free in some cities - gouge in others as in SAC.

 

[forgetwho]

Thanks, Golden Spike. It's great to get an instantaneous answer

 

[jmbgeg]

I'll be changing trains in Sacramento with a ten-hour layover. Are there lockers in the station? Or if not, is there a way to check baggage in the station just for the day?

No lockers.

But they will hold your bags. They usually charge $3 per piece. One way to cut down this cost is pack items you don't need enroute and check the bags in. For those they hold for you, I let them keep them until about 15 min. before departure to avoid weighing me down keeping an eye on them.

Some day Amtrak will have a consistent policy for sleeper pax system-wide. Hold for free in some cities - gouge in others as in SAC.

One thing about checking your carry-on luggage at the baggage department at SAC. I have done that before, but don't cut your retrieval time too short. There can be lines at times.

 

[mercedeslove]

as @GoldenSpike said they will hold your pages for a charge. Though when I was there he didn't charge me for any of my bags, but that is probably because I am made of awesome so he couldn't justify charging me.

 

[AKA]

I'll be changing trains in Sacramento with a ten-hour layover. Are there lockers in the station? Or if not, is there a way to check baggage in the station just for the day?

No lockers.

But they will hold your bags. They usually charge $3 per piece. One way to cut down this cost is pack items you don't need enroute and check the bags in. For those they hold for you, I let them keep them until about 15 min. before departure to avoid weighing me down keeping an eye on them.

Some day Amtrak will have a consistent policy for sleeper pax system-wide. Hold for free in some cities - gouge in others as in SAC.

One thing about checking your carry-on luggage at the baggage department at SAC. I have done that before, but don't cut your retrieval time too short. There can be lines at times.

As stated, give yourself enough time. It was less than 10 mins. to train time when they opened the baggage check to retrive bags the last time I was there. We just made it. The line was long. Alot of people for the east bound CZ slowed things down. They had checked during thier lay over. Many Starlight to CZ lay overs in SAC.

 

[Guest]

10 hours at Sacramento?? What trains are these between? I'm guessing westbound CZ to northbound CS...other than that, all the connections are MUCH closer!

 

[tp49]

10 hours at Sacramento?? What trains are these between? I'm guessing westbound CZ to northbound CS...other than that, all the connections are MUCH closer!

Probably the eastbound CZ to the northbound CS.

 

[alanh]

Unlikely to be the Zephyr EB; a Capitol would be a much better choice (even though it's coach only) and would eliminate a 13 hour wait. Getting 2 hours in a sleeper EMY-SAC doesn't seem worth it.

It's almost certainly the Zephyr WB which arrives at 2:13pm. The Coast Starlight NB leaves at midnight. I did this connection a few months ago. Yes, the baggage desk will hold bags for $3 each. They did ask me to pick them up an hour before to avoid the rush at train time.

 

[ceblack]

Agree this is likely a westbound Zephyr to northbound Starlight connection. The northbound Starlight hits all the stops the eastbound Zephyr does from its origin in Emeryville to Sacramento, so there's little reason to make that transfer unless you wanted to spend the day and evening in Sacramento...

...which, as I think about it, actually isn't too crazy of an idea! Spend the afternoon at the California State RR Museum and Old Town Sacramento... dinner downtown or on the Delta King... maybe a River Cats game in the evening before returning to the station. It would be nice if the Starlight arrived a little sooner than midnight, but there should be plenty of people waiting for the train (or walking back from the baseball game) to keep you company.

 

[zephyr17]

Agree this is likely a westbound Zephyr to northbound Starlight connection. The northbound Starlight hits all the stops the eastbound Zephyr does from its origin in Emeryville to Sacramento, so there's little reason to make that transfer unless you wanted to spend the day and evening in Sacramento...
...which, as I think about it, actually isn't too crazy of an idea! Spend the afternoon at the California State RR Museum and Old Town Sacramento... dinner downtown or on the Delta King... maybe a River Cats game in the evening before returning to the station. It would be nice if the Starlight arrived a little sooner than midnight, but there should be plenty of people waiting for the train (or walking back from the baseball game) to keep you company.

Sacramento is still the only "guaranteed" connection point, though. The only way you can have a different connection point, such as EMY, would be to do multi-city. A few years ago, EMY was a guaranteed connection, but not any more.