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I took the Starlight two years ago and it was running about 6 hours late every day, sometimes even later. Has there been any improvement since then in their arrival times?
sbalax Member # 2801
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Ronnie--
If you go to the main Trainweb.com site there is a link to a history for specific trains operating time.
We took the Starlight SBA-SJC last month and were only about an hour late but they lost quite a bit more time between SJC and OKJ when they hit a vehicle abandoned on the track.
Frank in Sunny SBA
HopefulRailUser Member # 4513
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Ronnie, I have been monitoring the #11 southbound this month in preparation for a trip in June. It is having big troubles, ranging late from 1.5 to 8 hours. Don't know how the northbound #14 is doing. Things had improved for a few months but have deteriorated again.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Hard as this may be to believe, for all intent and purpose the only UP operated Amtrak trains that are "on time' are the locally funded San Jose-Sacramento Capitols, and those portions of the San Joaquins and Surfliners that operate on their rails. In these cases, the State agency fundiong these trains has made substantial inprovements to the Right of Way. Any others when on time, it's a "Miracale by the Bay".
It should be of interest that the 'traditional' Union Pacific, namely their Council Bluffs-Ogden line comprising the Overland Route as well as the two wishbones Ogden Portland and Ogden LA are passenger train free. Amtrak trains primarilly run over former Southern Pacic lines, to a much lesser extent over the Missouri Pacific and Western Pacifie, and to a very small extent over the Katy. The Chicago & North Western only has Chicago area METRA commuter service.
Railfan discussion boards such as here have named the Starlight the StarLATE.
sojourner Member # 3134
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I am taking the Coast Starlight southbound to catch the Zephyr in Sacramento in a few months. Do you think I will make it?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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The website shows 11-SAC-6 to be a guaranteed connection. This means in the event of a misconnect, Amtrak "will take care of you" such as by providing alternate transportatioon like a catch up flight, or reaccomodation on a later train with meals and lodging during the interim.
But hopefully the scheduled five hours will do the trick.
sojourner Member # 3134
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I hope so, because I have a hotel booked in Chicago, so if I'm a day late, that won't work. But, we'll see. . . . I booked it with the knowledge that there could be trouble with the connection, and I guess I'll know 2 days in advance if I have to cancel, so that should be OK as far as not incurring costs.
I am not interested in any catch up flights, that's for sure! If I wanted to fly, I wouldn't take Amtrak.
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