RAILforum: checked baggage changes

This is topic checked baggage changes in forum Amtrak at RAILforum.

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Posted by earmond (Member # 186) on :

Ok, the new timetables, effective 26 April, are now published. Can anyone confirm/explain why/if Pacific Surfliner Train 774 at Santa Barbara yesterday was a checked baggage stop, but today, it is not? Or, is this a misprint in the timetable.

Amtrak phone agent contacted today sounded like she was just reading direct from the released timetable, not taking any initiative to double check.

This is of importance, because, referring to the below thread on Starlight-Surfline connections, my wife and I partially based our stopover at Santa Barbara vs LA because checked baggage was available.

It seems absurd that at that station, Santa Barbara, checked baggage IS handled for 4 other southbound trains ( 768 @ 6:49am, 784 @ 1:58pm, 11 @ 6:17pm, and 796 @ 7:05pm) BUT NOT for 774 @ 9:21am or 780 @ 11:38am. (What's the excuse; the attendant is on a lunch break?)

Northbound, checked baggage IS handled at Santa Barbara for 5 trains... (763 @ 11:33am, 14 @ 12:48 pm, 769 @ 3:64pm, 775@ 5:31pm and 785 @ 9:38pm.) BUT NOT for 761 @ 9:23 am. Huh???? 761 is carrying checked baggage from LA to Oxnard!

774 will already have checked baggage from San Luis Obispo: so it's not like they won't have the coach/baggage car on the consist.

Looking for some good words from forum folk.

Ernie

Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :

I have not seen the new timetables yet, but perhaps some of the Surfliner trains do not TYPICALLY carry a baggage car, therefore no checked baggage, but on the trains that DO typically have baggage cars, there will be checked baggage. (Is there an equipment shortage of baggage cars?) Maybe there was a baggage car on the train that did have checked baggage, but for some reason the baggage car was not consisted on the same train the next day....