Onboard analysis: ‘Coast Starlight’ is busy overnight

Amtrak train at Jack London Square Station

Third in a series OAKLAND, Calif. — The Los Angeles-Seattle Coast Starlight was a 1971 Amtrak concoction cobbling together three trains: Southern Pacific’s Coast Daylight and overnight Cascade, even though the SP trains hadn’t connected at the time, and the unnamed Portland, Ore.-Seattle Burlington Northern or Union Pacific “pool trains.” Originally, and ambitiously, the south […]

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Digest: Caltrain to consider schedule changes to better suit essential workers, transit-dependent

Caltrain logo

Friday morning rail news: Caltrain to consider new schedule aimed toward essential workers, transit dependent Caltrain’s board of directors will consider schedule changes intended to improve service for essential workers and transit-dependent riders who rely on the San Francisco Bay Area commuter. The proposed Base Service Plan schedule to be reveiwed at the board’s Nov. […]

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Digest: California Coastal Commission asks transit agency to withdraw petition to STB

People jumping off rail linee as train approaches

Monday morning rail news: Coastal Commission asks North County Transit District to withdraw STB petition on maintenance, fence projects The California Coastal Commission has asked the North County Transit District to withdraw its petition to the Surface Transportation Board regarding maintenance and safety-fence projects, saying it believes the public’s interest is best suited by collaboration […]

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Remembering Pacific Electric Railway locomotives

A steeple cab electric freight motor surrounded by other freight equipment.

  All this month, October 2020, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the legacy and heritage of the Pacific Electric Railway. This week, we’re featuring the motley mix of electric, diesel-electric, diesel-mechanical, and steam locomotives that all operated on the Pacific Electric in Southern California. If you like this photo gallery, you might also like a […]

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Digest: Suspect arrested in fatal LA Metro stabbing

Los Angeles Metro logo

More Tuesday morning rail news: Suspect arrested in stabbing death of LA Metro rail employee Police have arrested a suspect in Friday’s stabbing death of an LA Metro rail employee at a downtown Los Angeles subway station. The Los Angeles Daily News reports Irma Monroy, 25, was booked on suspicion of murder and held in lieu of […]

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Photo of the Day

San Luis Obispo Army camp troop train

Troop train on the SP A doubleheaded troop train passes the Army’s Camp San Luis Obispo as it climbs Cuesta Grade on Southern Pacific’s L.A.–San Francisco Coast Line in the early 1940s. SP photo […]

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Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014

FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Hill 852, Cajon Pass – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Hill 852, Cajon Pass – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Hill 852, Cajon Pass – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Barstow, CA – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Cajon Pass – April 28, […]

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San Jose, California

TRNHS0615_ASanJose01

The nation’s 10th largest city, San Jose has been flirting with the 1 million population mark for several years. Within the city and surrounding Santa Clara County are 74 passenger rail stations, 62 of them on the Valley Transportation Authority’s light rail system. The remainder serve one of three passenger carriers: Amtrak, Caltrain, and the […]

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