Amtrak California train in Jack London Square.
Amtrak needs to find a way to come to an agreement with the Union Pacific to expand the San Joaquin service south from Bakersfield to Los Angeles.
As it currently stands, there is only one direct train between the Bay Area and Los Angeles and that is the long distance Coast Starlight which runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. It leaves LA on the Union Pacific Santa Barbara Subdivision (which is shared with the Pacific Surfliner service from LA to Santa Barbara) and north along the coast subdivision, which is a long hilly, yet scenic route which is perfect for a long haul train, but not practical for commuter type service between LA and the Bay Area.
The San Joaquin line was developed to fill the dual role of commuter service between Northern California and Los Angeles, as well as provide service through the Central Valley. The San Joaquin line uses the BNSF "I-5 line" for its service through the Central Valley giving the train flat and straight terrain where it can run at 79 mph for the vast majority of the trip. However, the train's southern terminus is Bakersfield, and it is required for passengers to transfer to Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach service to connect with Los Angeles's Union Station.
The rails between Bakersfield and Los Angeles pass through the Tehachapi Loop, which is the busiest single track freight corridor in the world. It is owned by the Union Pacific but is also frequently used by BNSF through a shared trackage rights agreement.
Neither Union Pacific, nor the BNSF have operated passenger rail service since they entered into the agreement to spin passenger service off to Amtrak, so they have concentrated on the freight service and effectively shut Amtrak out of the Loop. In fact, the only Amtrak service through the Loop was a rerouted Coast Starlight in 2008 due to work on the coast line.
It would seem that with some negotiations that accommodations could be reached to extend at least one or two of the round trips from Bakersfield through the Loop and into Los Angeles. This would give passengers better service on the trip, as they would be able to ride the rails directly into Union Station where they could meet their connecting train, or just enjoy the LA area. It would also give the passengers a chance to ride through a scenic historical marvel.
You can also find Patrick Patterson's writing on the Oakland Raiders on Examiner.com and Thoughts from the Dark Side.
Comments
Interesting observations. RT!
I agree with the article. But since I live in Bakersfield, I've taken the bus and caught a train in L.A. Not too bad.
Interesting article. I have used Amtrak often, at times for business and others for vacation, and have traveled cross-country on the train. I love it! I don't know much about the politics involved but I would love to see this country get back to using trains both for passenger travel and long-haul freight. For passengers, it would have to get a lot more convenient and a lot less expensive, though, to make it realistic for most people.
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