Amtrak California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007)

Amtrak California
Reporting mark	CDTX
Locale	California
Dates of operation	1976–
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters	Sacramento, California
This box: view • talk

Map of the three Amtrak California routes - the Capitol Corridor (red), Pacific Surfliner (green) and San Joaquins (blue) - and other Amtrak routes in California (black)

An Amtrak California train at San Jose Diridon Station

An Amtrak California Express Thruway Motorcoach in Sacramento provides passengers with dedicated, guaranteed connections to and from Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains at the station

Amtrak California (reporting mark CDTX) is a brand name used by the Caltrans Division of Rail for all state-supported Amtrak rail routes within the U.S. State of California. It also includes an extensive network of Thruway Motorcoach bus connections, operated by private companies under contract.

[edit] History

Prior to 1976, rail travel in California was basic and infrequent. In order to relieve traffic congestion on state highways and to expand rail service above a basic level, California began to provide financial assistance to Amtrak.^[1] At the same time, Caltrans Division of Rail was formed to oversee state-financed rail operations and the brand Amtrak California started appearing on state-supported routes.

In 1990, California passed Propositions 108 and 116, providing $3 billion for transportation projects, with a large portion going to rail service.^[2] As a result, new locomotives and passenger cars were purchased by the state, existing inter-city routes expanded, and one new inter-city route, the Capitol Corridor, began operation. A more distinct image for Amtrak California, such as painting locomotives and passenger cars in "California Color", was established with the arrival of new rolling stock.

[edit] Rolling stock

Nearly all of the locomotives and passenger cars used in Amtrak California service are owned by the State through the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and carry the 'CDTX' reporting mark.

The motive power for the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin routes is provided primarily by 17 state-owned locomotives, of which 15 are EMD F59PHIs numbered 2001-2015, and two are P32-8WHs numbered 2051 and 2052.^[3] The Pacific Surfliner route also uses EMD F59PHIs but they are Amtrak-owned instead of state-owned. Occasionally, locomotives from Amtrak's national system, such as GE P42s, can be spotted working on Amtrak California routes.

State-owned passenger cars, dubbed "California Cars", that are used on these three routes are a variant of Amtrak's Superliner bi-level passenger cars. A major difference between California Cars and Superliners is that California Cars have two sets of doors on each side instead of only one door on the Superliners, which speeds up boarding and alighting considerably. There are two different series of passenger cars, the 6000 and 8000 series, with 6000-series cars being newer.^[3] A major difference in these two series is the design of cafe cars. 8000-series cars have the cafe on the upper level, along with several seats with tables. 6000-series cars have standard coach seating on the upper level, with the cafe at the lower level.

Consists on the San Joaquin, Capitol Corridor, and Pacific Surfliner routes usually include between four and six cars, with one locomotive and a cab control car on the rear end. Occasionally, Superliner equipment (coach or diner) from Amtrak's national fleet is used on some consists for replacement or maintenance purposes.

In 2007, Amtrak California paid for the repair of two wreck-damaged Superliner Coaches owned by Amtrak in exchange for a six-year lease, intended to quickly add capacity on busy Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains. These have been repainted to a new paint scheme which is similar to the colors of the original California color paint, and has the current Amtrak logo on the middle left side of each car. One of the units is numbered AMTK 34981, a Superliner I Coach, and has been named "Pleasant Grove."

[edit] Livery

Amtrak California utilizes a livery and logo that is different from the standard Amtrak colors. All state-owned locomotives, passenger cars and buses, with the exception of equipment used on the Pacific Surfliner route, are painted in the "California Colors" of blue and yellow. Each state-owned passenger car is named after a geographical feature of California.

The Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains are the two routes most identified with the Amtrak California image, since they extensively use "California Colored" equipment. The other state-supported rail route, the Pacific Surfliner, uses a unique blue and silver paint scheme that is different from the other Amtrak California-branded trains.

[edit] Routes

[edit] San Joaquin

The San Joaquin operates twelve trains (six in each direction) each day between Bakersfield and Stockton. From Stockton, four trains from Bakersfield continue west to Oakland, while two trains proceed north to the state capital of Sacramento. Central Valley communities served include Fresno, Corcoran, Hanford, Lodi, Madera, Merced, Modesto, Turlock/Denair and Wasco. Delta/Bay communities of Antioch, Martinez, and Richmond are also served by the San Joaquin.

[edit] Capitol Corridor

The Capitol Corridor route runs north and east from San Jose through Oakland and on to Sacramento, with stops along the east side of the San Francisco Bay, through Delta communities of Martinez and Suisun City and the Sacramento Valley city of Davis. One Capitol Corridor train per day continues east of Sacramento during the afternoon commute to the small Sierra Nevada town of Auburn. Plans have been proposed to extend an additional train per day to Reno, Nevada.

[edit] Pacific Surfliner

The Pacific Surfliner is a major commuting route in Southern California. The entire length of the line runs from San Luis Obispo in the north, down to San Diego in the south. It hugs the California coast for most of the route, providing a stunning backdrop. Most trains on the Pacific Surfliner route only travel a portion of the whole route. The Pacific Surfliner between Los Angeles and San Diego had previously operated as the San Diegan. With 2.7 million passengers in fiscal year 2007, this is Amtrak's most heavily travelled service outside of the Northeast Corridor.^[4]

The Caltrain route, connecting San Francisco to San Jose, is operated under contract by Amtrak but is not part of the Amtrak California system.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Amtrak California
  • Amtrak California Car Names
• The Rail Passenger Association of California (RailPAC) is a statewide membership organization working for the expansion and improvement of rail passenger service within the states of California and Nevada.