Passenger Trains > San Joaquin Line to SFO

So, My Wife will probably miss her connection at SFO from DFW to Bakersfield...

As this is the last flight from that airline to Bakersfield (there aren't many) a missed connection will probably mean a night in the Airport for my Poor Wife on our second Easter together.

Shouldn't I be able to take the SJ to maybe the CC to Bart to SFO?

Could someone fill me in on how I could do this?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/14 13:16 by Technology-Jeske.

Take the San Joaquin to Richmond then transfer to Bart there. You can get your BART ticket on the train in the cafe car. You will make it just fine.

Chris

Technology-Jeske Wrote:

> Shouldn't I be able to take the SJ to maybe the CC
> to Bart to SFO?

You could take a San Joaquin train from Bakersfield to Richmond and transfer to BART there. There is no direct BART service from the Richmond line to SFO, so you would board a "Fremont" train at Richmond and transfer to an "SFO/Millbrae" train at MacArthur station.

Change from Amtrak to BART at Richmond. Or check to see if one of the Amtrak connecting buses at EMY goes to SFO...can't remember off hand if that's one of the locations they serve.

Dave

NO NO NO Chris, Richmond, California is a very very DANGEROUS area for anyone
to be told to use . I would easily recommend the EMY - Emeryille==Amtrak station .
Emeryville is a veyr SAFE and FRIENDLY place for rail passengers.
This is why the Coast Starlight NO longer stops at RIchmond CA.
---- Daniel

eMudrock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Take the San Joaquin to Richmond then transfer to
> Bart there. You can get your BART ticket on the
> train in the cafe car. You will make it just
> fine.
>
> Chris

daniel3197 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NO NO NO Chris, Richmond, California is a very
> very DANGEROUS area for anyone
> to be told to use . I would easily recommend the
> EMY - Emeryille==Amtrak station .
> Emeryville is a veyr SAFE and FRIENDLY place for
> rail passengers.
> This is why the Coast Starlight NO longer stops at
> RIchmond CA.
> ---- Daniel
>
> eMudrock Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Take the San Joaquin to Richmond then transfer
> to
> > Bart there. You can get your BART ticket on the
> > train in the cafe car. You will make it just
> > fine.
> >
> > Chris


Hah.. yes I am aware of the Richmond situation.. I can hold my own..

I live on O Street in Bakersfield.. the difference is negligible.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/14 13:33 by Technology-Jeske.

The transfer in Richmond is fine; just don't loiter in the non-ticketed areas in the late hours.

Technology-Jeske Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> daniel3197 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > NO NO NO Chris, Richmond, California is a very
> > very DANGEROUS area for anyone
> > to be told to use . I would easily recommend
> the
> > EMY - Emeryille==Amtrak station .
> > Emeryville is a veyr SAFE and FRIENDLY place
> for
> > rail passengers.
> > This is why the Coast Starlight NO longer stops
> at
> > RIchmond CA.
> > ---- Daniel
> >
> > eMudrock Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Take the San Joaquin to Richmond then
> transfer
> > to
> > > Bart there. You can get your BART ticket on
> the
> > > train in the cafe car. You will make it just
> > > fine.
> > >
> > > Chris
>
>
> Hah.. yes I am aware of the Richmond situation.. I
> can hold my own..
>
> I live on O Street in Bakersfield.. the difference
> is negligible.

Sorry Daniel but that's an absurd suggestion... the closest BART station to Emeryville is MacArthur... a 2 mile walk away.
Chris is right, Richmond is your best bet. It's a easy transfer between the lines in a corridor that has a BART station attendant. When you get to the BART platform there's a 95% chance that there will be a train sitting at the platform with the doors open. It doesn't get much safer than that.

Plus if you're from Bakersfield you'll have all the street smarts you need to keep from getting yourself into trouble in almost any city.

Ricky Courtney
Seattle, WA

RIcky I just wanted to be sure that these passengers were aware of the
rather dangerous reputation Richmond, California has.
One you have been informed of this context please make your travel plans--decision.
I look for a very HAPPY and Enjoyable travel event for all involved here.
It would be much appreciated if you could post a SHORT update story here after this travel event happens.
Warm regards to All.
---- Daniel

There's a number of options to SFO, including taking the bus from Emeryville into the city, getting off on Market or at the Ferry Building and catching BART from there. I've used Richmond many times and its just a long haul on BART. I've also done Caltrain/BART out of the City to SFO. Plenty of options.

daniel3197 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RIcky I just wanted to be sure that these
> passengers were aware of the
> rather dangerous reputation Richmond, California
> has.
> One you have been informed of this context please
> make your travel plans--decision.
> I look for a very HAPPY and Enjoyable travel event
> for all involved here.
> It would be much appreciated if you could post a
> SHORT update story here after this travel event
> happens.
> Warm regards to All.
> ---- Daniel

Actually the RICHMOND bart/Amtrak station is probably the safest place in RICHMOND.

You should not be afraid of the transfer at Richmond. You do not have to go out to the street - which is where you could run into a problem.

I agree, the transfer at Richmond is fine during the day. Just don't do any site seeing outside the station.

Gary

Posted from iPhone

F40PHR231 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The transfer in Richmond is fine; just don't
> loiter in the non-ticketed areas in the late
> hours.

Yes, the tunnel that connects Amtrak to BART is just soooooo safe now, isn't it? (PS: For those who can't read tongue-in-cheek comments, Richmond is NOT safe. Not safe at all.)

coaststarlight99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> F40PHR231 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The transfer in Richmond is fine; just don't
> > loiter in the non-ticketed areas in the late
> > hours.
>
> Yes, the tunnel that connects Amtrak to BART is
> just soooooo safe now, isn't it? (PS: For those
> who can't read tongue-in-cheek comments, Richmond
> is NOT safe. Not safe at all.)

I've never had any problems. But I don't hang out there in the tunnel either.
You do have to exercise some "street smarts", i.e. if theres three guys who look like trouble hanging out in the tunnel it would be a good idea walk through with a number of other people.

My God. What about Oakland then? Much more dangerous than Richmond. Someone with street smarts (better yet, a weapon), should have no issues.


daniel3197 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RIcky I just wanted to be sure that these
> passengers were aware of the
> rather dangerous reputation Richmond, California
> has.
> One you have been informed of this context please
> make your travel plans--decision.
> I look for a very HAPPY and Enjoyable travel event
> for all involved here.
> It would be much appreciated if you could post a
> SHORT update story here after this travel event
> happens.
> Warm regards to All.
> ---- Daniel

Another alternative is to take the train to EMY. Then grab one of the taxis out front of the station for a quick ride to the MacArthur BART station to catch an SFO bound train.

While I agree that the Richmond connection to BART is the quickest, I doubt that I would take it after 9pm at night by myself, especially with luggage.

At Emeryville I'd take the Emery Go-Round. Free bus that stops at the Amtrak station and goes to MacArthur BART. I believe it runs every 10 or 12 minutes. There's also another route that picks up on Shellmound, an easy walk across the tracks (bridge) and parking lot to the west of the station. Also runs every 10 or 12 minutes. It also goes to MacArthur BART.

I have transferred at Richmond from Amtrak to BART (and BART to Amtrak) many times over the years, at all times of the day, without problems. As several have noted, just do not loiter in the ticket area or in the stairwells. Amtrak trains arrive at ground level and BART trains are on elevated tracks, so you must use the escalator, stairs or elevator between the two levels. You will not be the only person making the transfer, regardless of the time of day. There will be other passengers on both platforms and I have never been there when there was not a BART security officer present (although there is no guarantee there will be one). If, by some chance, it is after dark, the area is well lighted. That said, I make it a point to never allow myself to be in any area completely by myself. There are always others around, so I tend to stay close to groups of other passengers.