Please challenge me if I am wrong. I lived in California (Orange County) from 1970-1976 and have very little knowledge of its development since.Where is the night train between LA and SF? And who's to blame?
‘The demand would be there’ — if the price is right.www.sfgate.com
The author doesn't seem to have fully understood the bus connections don't start in San Jose, but also go through Oakland, Emeryville, and San Francisco before San Jose.
Things change, it's the only thing that stays the same.
They did with sleepers and food for 3 years here’s the schedule. It actually was a SAC OAK SJC LAX train. The Spirit of CA. 1980s
Amtrak certainly did have an overnight California train, the Los Angeles-Sacramento via Oakland "Spirit of California" (aka, the "MedFlyer") in the early 1980's. Governor Deukmajian killed it since it was dependent on California subsidy.
Amfleet cafe. I rode it.
I don't think the idea is that Amtrak should take the initiative, but that California should drum up the money, support and equipment, and underwrite any losses, and then ask Amtrak to run it, much as is already happening on many of the Amtrak routes in California today.
I think he does show an understanding of the bus connections, only he is not explicit about it. The SF-LA overnight can be done tomorrow if Caltrans allows it. One can travel by rail to Diridon (San Jose) about 12 times daily presently. Amtrak could easily have an 8 or 9 boarding time in San Francisco and proceed to San Jose and onto Los Angeles. While it would not service the Central Valley as the high speed version it definitely would service the two largest markets. All in all, a very interesting read.Where is the night train between LA and SF? And who's to blame?
‘The demand would be there’ — if the price is right.
The author doesn't seem to have fully understood the bus connections don't start in San Jose, but also go through Oakland, Emeryville, and San Francisco before San Jose.
The author also says that whereas it may seem logical that the HSR could cannibalize and totally kill off any parallel connections (planned or existing), experience from elsewhere shows this need not be a foregone conclusion. This is a very valid point.
Agree and it could be direct - 4th and King in San Francisco to Union Station in LA. With some marketing and commitment to reliability this overnight train could be a success. Everything old is new again!
There isn't a choice, that is the way it has to be per Federal law. Per PRIIA all routes under 750 miles must be 100% funded from state and local sources and cannot partake of the Federal subsidy. Except the NEC, of course.
California already owns almost all equipment used on California trains other than the National Network trains (Starlight, Sunset and SW Chief). Even the Superliners used in Surfliner service are under long term lease to CalTrans, and are wreck rebuilds that California paid for, although Beech Grove did the work.
Why?
Much of the Viewliner sleeper fleet remains mothballed. I am unsure of the mothball ratio of Is to IIs, but certainly when viewed as a single fleet there are many Viewliners not serviceable.
Is there any reason California can't tack on an order of its own onto Amtrak's Viewliner order and then use that. I guess one or two sleepers per train would suffice, with the rest of the train being day coaches they have already? So with two consists in circulation plus a reserve car or two, that would be five or six cars maximum. But maybe they could even test the waters with one car per train which would mean ordering as little as two or three cars off the back of the Amtrak order?
