Surfliner schedule change 4/1 - new stops added/trains adding stops

[calwatch]

These are not going to be peak trains, other than perhaps 784 southbound with long distance LA/OC commuters coming south and 567 on a Monday or Friday with people leaving San Diego visiting LA. Midday and night trains are not well patronized, and the peak load point, as you might guess, is around Los Angeles.

 

[PRR 60]

Frankly, it sounds like Amtrak is going to get screwed by this at peak hours. $4.28 for an Oceanside-San Diego ticket is far less than the $18 Amtrak currently gets for that run. In off hours, that's not a bad deal ($4.28/seat is better than an empty seat), but at peak hours with an SRO train that's an issue.

Amtrak does not get screwed in any manner. Starting 10/1 (10/16?) the Surfliners are 100% state-funded trains. Any financial gains and losses are a state matter.

The unintended consequence of that is with 100% state funding comes 100% state and local control. The people paying the bills have the right and authority to call all the shots, including when trains run and where they stop.

 

[Anderson]

Frankly, it sounds like Amtrak is going to get screwed by this at peak hours. $4.28 for an Oceanside-San Diego ticket is far less than the $18 Amtrak currently gets for that run. In off hours, that's not a bad deal ($4.28/seat is better than an empty seat), but at peak hours with an SRO train that's an issue.

Amtrak does not get screwed in any manner. Starting 10/1 (10/16?) the Surfliners are 100% state-funded trains. Any financial gains and losses are a state matter.

The unintended consequence of that is with 100% state funding comes 100% state and local control. The people paying the bills have the right and authority to call all the shots, including when trains run and where they stop.

Frankly, it sounds like Amtrak is going to get screwed by this at peak hours. $4.28 for an Oceanside-San Diego ticket is far less than the $18 Amtrak currently gets for that run. In off hours, that's not a bad deal ($4.28/seat is better than an empty seat), but at peak hours with an SRO train that's an issue.

Amtrak does not get screwed in any manner. Starting 10/1 (10/16?) the Surfliners are 100% state-funded trains. Any financial gains and losses are a state matter.

The unintended consequence of that is with 100% state funding comes 100% state and local control. The people paying the bills have the right and authority to call all the shots, including when trains run and where they stop.

Ok, that point is taken. Then again, I must also turn to the VA State Rail Plan...and the long-term vision for NE Regionals to in the long run become, in so many words, a fairly nice long-haul express commuter service RVR-WAS.

 

[hmy1]

I am extremely disappointed that they will be implementing this change. The Surfliners are inter-city trains and should not be making local stops. It only adds 10 minutes to the schedule but sometimes when you've been on the train for 2+ hours (from LA or points north), you just want to get there. The NCTD should have added additional Coaster trips instead of degrading Surfliner service. The new stops are made at off-peak hours, so train conflicts on single tracks was not the issue here.

One observation regarding fares:

Amtrak LAX-SAN: $37.00

Amtrak LAX-OSD: $28.00

Coaster OSD-SAN: $5.50

Amtrak+Coaster LAX-OSD-SAN: $33.50

Guess how I'll be buying my single-ride tickets after 10/7 if I'm taking one of these trains.

 

[sechs]

I'm going to disagree with folks and say that this is a good thing.

The closer coordination of Metrolink, Coaster, and Surfliner trains on the LAX-SAN route is a net positive. At this point, if either of the commuter railroads added a train, it would be at the detriment of Amtrak.

If the options are killing Surfliners to add Coaster trains or adding the Coaster stops to Surfliners, I'm going with the latter.

 

[SubwayNut]

How will you buy your POP Coaster ticket (going northbound would be easy) while planning to remain aboard the same Amtrak train en route. Aren't Coaster tickets only available day of travel at the station TVMs?