Doing my first significant trip in a while (though I have had a few short Surfliner/Coaster trips within San Diego County) - that being a weekend trip to LA and the surrounding Metro area. Going there to take a bit of a mini-vacation - planning on going to a concert, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and a minor-league hockey game (probably would go to an NHL game if not for that pesky lockout...) I will be staying downtown (got a decent hotel on Priceline for a good price), though I'll be taking Metrolink and buses while there as my major activities are in suburbs.
Anyway, my original plan was to try the Coaster-to-Metrolink transfer to get to LA Union Station this weekend. However, I ultimately decided to stick with the Surfliner for a few reasons - most notably that there was only a 2 min layover (and the trains were opposite tracks), and I wanted to deposit my bags somewhere before heading to the concert tonight. As the OC Line arrives in LA at 5:35, the Riverside Line to Pomona (where the concert is) leaves LA at 6:05, and the in-station baggage check closes at 10:30, I wouldn't be able to store my bags anywhere and get them after the concert. If only LAUS had lockers like they do in CHI...
In any case, I ended up starting my trip with the #579 Surfliner - though I did purchase a daily Metrolink ticket from LAX to Pomona in advance from the machine at SAN (though that machine was extremely fussy - took a few attempts to buy the ticket). As I was coming from work (which is closer to SOL than my usual station of SAN) , I took a local NCTD bus up to Solana Beach. Got there with more than 20min to spare, and soon made my way to the Superliner car that seems to make it onto every Surfliner consist (save for that single-level one). Probably 20 people got on at SOL - not a ton, but it is a midday train. Ride has been rather uneventful so far - though it's nice as always to be on a train (particularly in a Superliner). At Oceanside, they did make an annoucement that daily Metrolink tickets are not accepted (judging by how regularly they announce this, it must be a chronic problem...) Just departed San Juan Capistrano - which marks the end of the great ocean views - and currently rolling through some rather nondescript parts of Orange County. Still interesting to see the scenery, though - most of the time I'm on a Surfliner it's at night, so leaving earlier is kind of nice.
Update: We're approaching LAUS right now - so far, this has been perhaps the most smooth, uneventful train trip I've been on! We're making perfect time, and we haven't even had to stop on a siding to let a freight or other Amtrak/Metrolink/Coaster pass! Should be able to Metro over to my hotel, check in and drop off bags, and Metro back in time for the 6:05 Metrolink to Pomona (and maybe the one before that if I'm lucky...)
Anyway, my original plan was to try the Coaster-to-Metrolink transfer to get to LA Union Station this weekend. However, I ultimately decided to stick with the Surfliner for a few reasons - most notably that there was only a 2 min layover (and the trains were opposite tracks), and I wanted to deposit my bags somewhere before heading to the concert tonight. As the OC Line arrives in LA at 5:35, the Riverside Line to Pomona (where the concert is) leaves LA at 6:05, and the in-station baggage check closes at 10:30, I wouldn't be able to store my bags anywhere and get them after the concert. If only LAUS had lockers like they do in CHI...
In any case, I ended up starting my trip with the #579 Surfliner - though I did purchase a daily Metrolink ticket from LAX to Pomona in advance from the machine at SAN (though that machine was extremely fussy - took a few attempts to buy the ticket). As I was coming from work (which is closer to SOL than my usual station of SAN) , I took a local NCTD bus up to Solana Beach. Got there with more than 20min to spare, and soon made my way to the Superliner car that seems to make it onto every Surfliner consist (save for that single-level one). Probably 20 people got on at SOL - not a ton, but it is a midday train. Ride has been rather uneventful so far - though it's nice as always to be on a train (particularly in a Superliner). At Oceanside, they did make an annoucement that daily Metrolink tickets are not accepted (judging by how regularly they announce this, it must be a chronic problem...) Just departed San Juan Capistrano - which marks the end of the great ocean views - and currently rolling through some rather nondescript parts of Orange County. Still interesting to see the scenery, though - most of the time I'm on a Surfliner it's at night, so leaving earlier is kind of nice.
Update: We're approaching LAUS right now - so far, this has been perhaps the most smooth, uneventful train trip I've been on! We're making perfect time, and we haven't even had to stop on a siding to let a freight or other Amtrak/Metrolink/Coaster pass! Should be able to Metro over to my hotel, check in and drop off bags, and Metro back in time for the 6:05 Metrolink to Pomona (and maybe the one before that if I'm lucky...)
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