SWC to CS connection in LAX

[SteveSFL]

I'm taking my Mom and Dad on a trip from CHI to PDX via LAX in mid-July. My Dad went on a trip with me last year and loved it, but my Mom hasn't been on Amtrak since the 70's, and she didn't like it then. So I'm hoping to impress my Mom but I'm concerned about the recent on-time performance of the Southwest Chief. It looks like it arrived into LAX after the Coast Starlight departed on 7 days in the last 30.

Has there been some ongoing problem or has it been mostly due to the weather? Also, if I recall correctly from things I read on this forum, if a misconnect looks inevitible, Amtrak would probably bus from Victorville to Oxnard or something like that, right? If that's the case, there's not much missed other than getting to see LA Union Station and the lounge. I certainly wouldn't want to be bussed to Bakersfield and put on the San Juaquin to meet the Starlight in Sacramento.

 

[printman2000]

The bus to Bakersfield is exactly what we got when our Southwest Chief was very late. They took us of at San Bernardino. Then the San Joaquin to Martinez where we waited for the Coast Starlight.

It was a HUGE disappointment since we missed all the coast running and boarded in the nighttime.

 

[SteveSFL]

I have discovered that I could rent a car from Avis in Victorville and drop it off in Van Nuys for only about $65. I might consider that if it looks like we'd be misconnecting. I'm cognizant of the schedule padding so I would only do that if missing the connection was inevitable. I remember there being another post about being proactive and solving one's own Amtrak problem; perhaps it might come to that.

I don't suppose Amtrak would consider allowing us to take the next day's Starlight (space permitting) if we paid for our own hotel in LAX.

 

[printman2000]

I doubt it. But maybe. Who knows? I guess it depends on who you talk to.

 

[SteveSFL]

According to ASM, the SWC is only about 30 minutes late in New Mexico right now. If it makes the connection with Coast Starlight in LAX tomorrow morning, that will make two days in a row!

Of the last 16 days, the connection has only been made 7 times. People used to talk about this as one of the more reliable connections, but I'm definitely going to make those rental car reservations for Victorville to Van Nuys.

 

[SteveSFL]

Well, instead of getting better, it's getting worse. The SWC/CS connection in LA was made only once in the last seven days. I do have a rental car reserved for Victorville-Santa Barbara now, but that's only going to work if the train arrives between 3 and 4.5 hours late at VRV. (Less than 3 hrs late and the connection has a chance of being made in LAX. More than 4.5 hours late and I can't pick up the car and drive from VRV to SBA in time to meet the Coast Starlight there). I wonder how late the Chief has to be to miss the Bakersfield Bustitution.

 

[TinCan782]

Make sure your CS ticket is a separate ticket for Van Nuys, NOT LA.

If you are a "no show", in LA, you risk losing the CS ticket.

 

[SteveSFL]

Make sure your CS ticket is a separate ticket for Van Nuys, NOT LA.

If you are a "no show", in LA, you risk losing the CS ticket.

Well, it's a single ticket from Chicago-Seattle via LAX. I'm assuming that if the train is running so late as to miss the connection in LAX, the conductor will tell us that we are going to be pulled off in San Bernadino or something to be bustituted to Bakersfield. If that is the case and the timing is right for me to make the rental car dash to Santa Barbara, I will tell the conductor my plan and also call Amtrak and AGR.

Obviously if Amtrak's plan is the bus to Bakersfield and San Juaquin to Sacramento to meet the Coast Starlight there, they will have to hold the reservation on the Starlight and the room will just be empty until I get on either in Santa Barbara or Sacramento or wherever they would bus the connecting passengers to.

 

[benale]

The SW Chief indeed was one of Amtraks best performers. I remember a few years ago when we had a connection from 3 to 14 and we were running late they took us off in San Bernadino and bused us to Santa Barbara. With all the cost cutting, Amtrak doesn't want to spring for the bus, so now they are putting passengers on the Bakersfield bus to catch the San Joaquin to catch 14 at Midnight in Sacramento. This happened two weeks ago on a very late Sunset Limited. I would be miffed. A lot of people choose The Coast Starlight.

 

[TinCan782]

Make sure your CS ticket is a separate ticket for Van Nuys, NOT LA.

If you are a "no show", in LA, you risk losing the CS ticket.

Well, it's a single ticket from Chicago-Seattle via LAX. I'm assuming that if the train is running so late as to miss the connection in LAX, the conductor will tell us that we are going to be pulled off in San Bernadino or something to be bustituted to Bakersfield. If that is the case and the timing is right for me to make the rental car dash to Santa Barbara, I will tell the conductor my plan and also call Amtrak and AGR.

Obviously if Amtrak's plan is the bus to Bakersfield and San Juaquin to Sacramento to meet the Coast Starlight there, they will have to hold the reservation on the Starlight and the room will just be empty until I get on either in Santa Barbara or Sacramento or wherever they would bus the connecting passengers to.

Makes sense. By renting a car to go from Victorville to Van Nuys (or something similiar), you are going "outside" what would be in Amtrak's plan of action for your connection. Perhaps the bus and the San Joaquin would be "expecting" you as would the CS in Sacramento or some northern connection. I would suggest you check and double check with Amtrak in advance regarding your plan. Good luck and I hope you actually make the normal connection at LAUS.

 

[SteveSFL]

Over on T.O. site, Gene gave a good account of Amtrak's plan for the missed connection between the Chief and the Coast Starlight on Friday:

"Passengers for Coast Starlight (destinations north of Sacramento) and San Joaquins were bused
Barstow-Bakersfield for Train 715(3). Passengers for Train 14(3) were to change at
Emeryville. Starlight passengers for San Jose were to take Thruway Bus off Train 715(3) at Stockton.
Passengers for Salinas were to take same bus, then were to be put into a taxi at San Jose.

Starlight passengers for points north of Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo take a Surfliner.

Starlight passengers for Paso Robles will be taken on Thruway Bus from San Luis Obispo.

Train 3(1) finally straggled into LAUPT at 406pm, 7 hr 51 min late. At its worst it
was nine hours late. It didn't get to Barstow until noon, and it is doubtful whether
the connecting passengers made Train 715, which departed Bakersfield on time at 120pm
(it is over 120 miles...FAIL.). The Adventure Continues."

 

[TinCan782]

Over on T.O. site, Gene gave a good account of Amtrak's plan for the missed connection between the Chief and the Coast Starlight on Friday:

"Passengers for Coast Starlight (destinations north of Sacramento) and San Joaquins were bused

Barstow-Bakersfield for Train 715(3). Passengers for Train 14(3) were to change at

Emeryville. Starlight passengers for San Jose were to take Thruway Bus off Train 715(3) at Stockton.

Passengers for Salinas were to take same bus, then were to be put into a taxi at San Jose.

Starlight passengers for points north of Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo take a Surfliner.

Starlight passengers for Paso Robles will be taken on Thruway Bus from San Luis Obispo.

Train 3(1) finally straggled into LAUPT at 406pm, 7 hr 51 min late. At its worst it

was nine hours late. It didn't get to Barstow until noon, and it is doubtful whether

the connecting passengers made Train 715, which departed Bakersfield on time at 120pm

(it is over 120 miles...FAIL.). The Adventure Continues."

Yes, saw that.

 

[SteveSFL]

It appears that Amtrak does open up all the sleeper space left empty by the passengers that miss the connection in LAX. The connection was missed again today and I was able to see at least 8 roomettes, 6 bedrooms, and 2 family bedrooms available between Santa Barbara and San Jose on today's Coast Starlight. They are not available north of SAC, so I guess they plan for the connecting passengers to board somewhere between SJC and SAC.

That could throw a wrench in my back-up plan.

 

[zephyr17]

You kind of do not have a backup plan. Amtrak's MO is to arrange your alternative transportation and then tell you about it. When the conductor tells you the plan, that plan is already a done deal and they will already have released your roomette for sale. Also, unless they are arranging a special bus, the conductor may not even be told, since he won't have to deal with making sure the passengers are informed. You might just be told on arrival in LA.

Your best bet for such an alternative is to call AGR as soon as you think are going to be super late. You'd need to talk to AGR since you will be splitting your reservation, I don't think a regular agent would be able to do anything even if they wanted to. AGR might not be able to either. And you don't want to jump the gun, either. The Chief can be 2 hours late out of Albuquerque and still be on time or early into LA.

Bottom line, Amtrak will arrange alternative transportation themselves, and part of that is releasing the space that you held. To have any chance of making alternative arrangements you have to catch them before they do.

 

[CHamilton]

Keep in mind also that the OBS won't know anything, since they have no communication, the conductors won't know anything until they are told, and plans are always subject to change. I was on train 7 a few days ago, and the tracks were closed between Spokane and Seattle due to wildfires in Wenatchee. We were told just as we were leaving East Glacier that we would be bussed from Spokane. I tried to call and get on the Portland section (train 27) but there was no cell signal. Finally, at West Glacier, I was able to make a reservation on 27 through the Amtrak app. Not five seconds later, the conductor came on the PA to announce that the tracks were open, and train 7 would be going to Seattle after all. So I modified the new reservation to a future date (couldn't cancel it in the app for some reason) and cancelled it on the website later.