Passenger Trains > Fate of the Coast Starlight- Will it return?

Currently the Coast Starlight only runs from Los Angles to Sacramento because of the collapse of tunnel 11 on the UP Cascades Subdivision.

My question is simple- Will Amtrak restore the Coast Starlight completely (Los Angles to Seattle) after the tunnel is fixed? OR is this "low hanging fruit" that Amtrak could argue is "costing Amtrak to much to operate" and needs to be eliminated. Amtrak could say who is going to miss a train that isn't operating anyway? Nobody missed the Pacific Parlour Cars did they?

I see a lot of similarities between the Sunset Limited and the Coast Starlight. I just don't want the Coast Starlight to suffer the same fate as the Sunset.

I hope I am wrong.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/18 16:52 by scott9915.

Let's see if Anderson jumps on this opportunity cut back, or downgrade the Starlight.

Usually when cost-cutters, or down graders like Anderson have a gift like this fall in their lap (tunnel closure forces the discontinuance), the temporary discontinuance is made permanent, etc. If the resumed train only goes to Sacramento--no need for sleepers or diners. What an opportunity for Anderson!

Hopefully, California politician will put pressure on him to not ax or further downgrade this train.

Currently I can buy tickets from Oregon to California starting June 27. That date has been pushed back periodically based on updates from UP.

I've seen the "jobs abolished" language floating around TO, but that could just mean that the affected crews are effectively laid off for the indefinite duration of the closure, since I can't imagine Amtrak can afford to pay them to stay at home.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/18 21:24 by dendroica.

Both # 11 and # 14 have been downgraded

currently 2 locomotives and 6 cars----baggage, crew car ,Business coach, Sightseer Lounge, Coach, Coach.......NO DINER.........

If you want something to eat you have to purchase from the unstocked lounge car or bring you own.........

And then Amtrak will claim no one wants to ride a day train up and down the coast.
Geez

WP17

atsf62 Wrote:
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> Both # 11 and # 14 have been downgraded
>
> currently 2 locomotives and 6 cars----baggage,
> crew car ,Business coach, Sightseer Lounge, Coach,
> Coach.......NO DINER.........
>
> If you want something to eat you have to purchase
> from the unstocked lounge car or bring you
> own.........

When the UP re-opens the tunnel, Anderson will have to tip his hand. Whether to restore full service--or drop the train Seattle to San Jose--or ax it altogether.

Only pro-Amtrak politicians from the Western States served by this train can stop him.

The train will return

Posted from iPhone

As of now, the Coast Starlight jobs between Sacramento and Seattle have NOT been abolished -- the jobs are only suspended until service resumes. This is, of course, subject to change, but is fact -- as of Sunday, June 17, 2018.

I would be very surprised if Anderson does not use this opportunity to eliminate a long-distance train.

KansasCityChief Wrote:
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> The train will return
>
> Posted from iPhone

I agree. Coast Starlight didn't have to detour to Tehachapi during track work on the Coast Line in late April, but Amtrak did it. That certainly helped people in Oregon and Washington.

I speculate that whoever is responsible for managing Amtrak on the West Coast is doing a pretty good job, regardless of Mr. Anderson. At this point, I don't fear the goose-steppin' East Coast influence to negatively affect West Coast operations. :-)

All I can say is this speculation with 11 and 14 reminds me of when that massive landslide shut UP down for quite a while, you guys sure got assumptions about Propeller Hhead, besides his feets in the fire since the Private Car Fiasco started!

Posted from Android

Don't think that a "corridor train" from LA to Sacramento and then Sacramento to Portland couldn't emerge........that was always in my mind a worse case scenerio......

Good grief, the speculative pessimism in this thread is incredible. Do you assume your favorite sports team is going to lose when you arrive at a stadium before a game begins? Do you assume you will get served a lousy meal when going to a restaurant? When you have a date with hottie, do you assume she will stand you up?

Why not wait until there are at least some rumors before engaging in such speculation?

RuleG Wrote:
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> Good grief, the speculative pessimism in this
> thread is incredible. Do you assume your favorite
> sports team is going to lose when you arrive at a
> stadium before a game begins? Do you assume you
> will get served a lousy meal when going to a
> restaurant? When you have a date with hottie, do
> you assume she will stand you up?
>
> Why not wait until there are at least some rumors
> before engaging in such speculation?


The rumors have to start somewhere!

totally agree with RuleG…..this conversation about the coast starlight is without merit....aren't there some real issues to deal with? I'll suggest a couple if needed. let UP get the tunnel fixed and service restored. Arlen

Someone at Amtrak may read this and think it's a good idea... Loose lips sink ships...

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MC6853 Wrote:
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> Someone at Amtrak may read this and think it's a
> good idea... Loose lips sink ships...

"Don't talk badly about (fill in the blank) or something bad will happen."

If TO has such influence on Amtrak management that they become petty, destructive trolls, then passenger rail deserves to be eliminated in America. I hope that happens, because I'll be laughing.

I can tolerate some degree of paranoia, grade-school gossip, baseless speculations, and so forth to truly respect free speech, but sometimes I wonder about how neurotic we've become.

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
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> As of now, the Coast Starlight jobs between
> Sacramento and Seattle have NOT been abolished --
> the jobs are only suspended until service resumes.
> This is, of course, subject to change, but is
> fact -- as of Sunday, June 17, 2018.
>
> I would be very surprised if Anderson does not use
> this opportunity to eliminate a long-distance
> train.


Technically the jobs are temporarily annulled ("emergency annulment" would be the union language). The affected employees can stay home without pay or may bump to other jobs, inevitably however, someone will be laid off as a result. Once the trains are restored everybody will be restored to their pre-emergency status.

As for permanently discontinuing the Starlight, it WILL NOT happen. At least as a result of this incident. I'd expect the tri-weekly trains to be the low-hanging fruit someone is chomping at the bit to get rid of at this moment. The Starlight is probably the last LD train Amtrak would discontinue, either that or it's second fiddle to the Auto Train. I'd expect the train to be restored as it was before the collapse the moment UP opens the tunnel, maybe a day or two later if UP wants time to run their own trains first. The moment Amtrak can they'll run the train because the Starlight is one of their most popular LD trains. They would not be able to just let it fade away the way they did the Sunset East.

OTG Wrote:
> The moment Amtrak can they'll run the train because
> the Starlight is one of their most popular LD
> trains. They would not be able to just let it
> fade away the way they did the Sunset East.

I agree.

One thing the Starlight has going for it compared to the other western LDTs (well excepting the Texas Eagle) is that it is a one night train. You get two great days of scenery on either side of that one night.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good grief, the speculative pessimism in this
> thread is incredible. Do you assume your favorite
> sports team is going to lose when you arrive at a
> stadium before a game begins? Do you assume you
> will get served a lousy meal when going to a
> restaurant? When you have a date with hottie, do
> you assume she will stand you up?
>
> Why not wait until there are at least some rumors
> before engaging in such speculation?

Depends on who your team is.
If you like greasy spoon places.
How much you paid.

Leave it to doom and gloom folks on TO. Of course the Coast Starlight will run SEA to LAX as soon as UP gets the tunnel repaired. You can buy tickets now for the train.

UP has stated tunnel repairs are anticipated to be complete in June 23. Amtrak said the train will be back to normal June 25. It all depends on successful work on Tunnel 11.

Posted from Android