STOCKTON, Calif. — The operating agency for Amtrak’s San Joaquins and the California Department of Transportation officially launched San Joaquins service using Siemens Venture equipment on Tuesday, March 5, with ceremonies featuring Caltrans director Tony Taveres, state Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin, and other officials.
The first Venture cars debuted in San Joaquins service without fanfare in late December, after a long and never-fully-explained delay [see “Top 10 stories of 2023, No. 4: Amtrak’s ongoing capacity issues,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 28, 2023]. The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority and Caltrans now say in a press release that was part of “a 30-day failure free test period,” and that the cars “performed as expected and will now be introduced as part of overall inventory running the San Joaquins revenue service.”
Caltrans’ 49-car order placed in 2019 was part of the same agreement that included Amtrak Midwest cars in use on state-supported lines based in Chicago.
“These new Venture Rail Cars move us forward into the next era of rider experience, comfort, and reliability,” said Pat Hume, chair of the joint powers authority. “We are also pleased to have sourced these cars from Siemens, which manufactured them in Sacramento, one of our corridor cities. Local manufacturing not only contributes to the character of our service, but also to the local economy.” Michael Cahill, president of rolling stock for Siemens Mobility North America, said, “These trains were designed with Californians in mind, and they set a new standard for passenger travel with end-to-end accessibility. They are truly best in class.”
The San Joaquin website now features an extensive introduction to the new cars, including a 360-degree virtual tour, and lists new features such as overhead information signage, dual power outlets with USB connection, next-generation WiFi, and increased luggage storage. Not mentioned is that the café cars featured on older equipment will be eventually replaced by vending machine food-service cars in the Venture trainsets [see “California, Siemens say first Venture cars are ready …,” News Wire, Oct. 5, 2022]. The vending-machine cars are currently not ready, so the new trains offer no food service of any type.
— Updated March 7 at 7:35 a.m. CT to clarify that vending-machine cars are not yet in service.
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