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Hello, I will be taking a cross country train trip in April and will need to connect in Los Angeles from the SWC to the CS. What does Amtrak do for passengers if the SWC is late and I don't make my connection? Will they keep my sleeper space or sell it? If the CS isn't running by the time I take my trip can anyone suggest alternate routes by which I could do a cross country trip leaving from St. Louis, MO?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Off hand, it would appear your 3-LAX-14 connection is safe, but for more historical information check out www.amtrakdelays.com The site is unofficial, but others here and at other Forums have suggested it is a worthwhile resource.
The primary "backup' in the event of a misconnect is to have passengers take a bus to Bakersfield, thence a San Joaquin and bus to Sacramento and make the connection there. Naturally, the downside is that you will be getting Point A to B transportation in place of your desired sightseeing, Pacific Parlour, complimentary meals, and wine tasting.
If you follow their rules, i.e. connect with whatever transportation they direct, your continuing Sleeper space will be held for you at wherever you board the Starlight.
For a trip originating in St Louis, your alt route is to use #421 Texas Eagle/Sunset. While that service is only offered three days a week and the schedule keeping is "atrocious" to say the least, i.e. plan "nothing" on your arrival day in LA, the scenery is interesting and Dining service is offered (possibly still a Sightseer lounge).
Even if I am hardly the most passionate advocate around here of Long Distance trains, I do ride 'em when they are convenient to my needs (not afraid, but don't like air transportation anymore than the next guy around here, but I do like auto travel mainly for reason expressed by poet William Ernest Henley......"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul'). Overall, I rate my journeys as "more positives than negatives".
Good luck and enjoy.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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The only thing I can add to the above post is the following:
If the Southwest Chief is within (roughly) 30 minutes of missing the connection with the Coast Starlight, then Amtrak will HOLD the Coast Starlight until the Southwest Chief arrives. Any more than a half hour, and they will most likely not hold the train. Your Conductor will advise you exactly what they will do.
However, if the Southwest Chief is running late enough to just miss the Coast Starlight (more than 30 minutes from the connection time), but it's not TOO late beyond that, then Amtrak will bus you to Santa Barbara where you will catch-up with the slow running Starlight. If the Southwest Chief is running so late that neither of those items are possible, then they will put you on the Thruway Bus to Bakersfield, where you will go to Sacramento for the midnight connection with the Coast Starlight. That's not the fun way to go----hopefully you'll be able to catch it at LAX as planned. Train #3 has a very good arrival time into LAX, and is often early.
KC Railfan Member # 363
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Thank you both for the excellent information. I am glad Amtrak has a plan in place if that happens. I have been looking at amtrakdelays.com and have noticed that the Chief has been early quite a bit. Thanks again.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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KC Railfan,
You probably know this already, but your location is the childhood home of Pat Metheny. That man is a musical genius. I've met him a few times for a very brief moment, and he was very humble. Very nice guy, with the best music on this planet!
notelvis Member # 3071
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You didn't tell us how far up the coast you are going on the Coast Starlight. If it's the Bay Area you might consider a morning train to Chicago from St. Louis and taking the California Zephyr across from there. That scenery is the best Amtrak can offer.
If you're going to Portland or Seattle then I would consider the same morning train to Chicago and connecting to the Empire Builder.
KC Railfan Member # 363
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I'm going to Portland. I really wanted to take the Coast Starlight North because of the ocean view. I may not get to see it going South from Portland if the train is late.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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The views along the coast on #14 are worth the price of admission. Absolutely beautiful.
DeeCT Member # 3241
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KC Railfan -
I second that -- the views on #14 are definitely beautiful !!!
I have made connections from the SWC both going westbound and eastbound several times and all but once with plenty of time to spare. I suspect that westbound there is more than a bit of "padding" built into the schedule. (The one time I missed a connection was an eastbound trip. Tornado activity in New Mexico and Blizzard conditions in Kansas presented a double punch. One could not reasonably blame Amtrak for a late arrival into Chicago under those conditions). One late trip out of about 16 on the SWC, and that weather caused, is not a bad record. Now the LSL ---- well there we have a different story ----.
Portland is one of my favorite cities - so much to see and do there. A beautiful clean, green city.
Dee
notelvis Member # 3071
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If you've never done up the coast on #14 then you certainly want to go for it. The connection from the SWC to the CS is probably the safest of any save the long connections in San Antonio.
I made my suggestions as alternatives in the event that through operation for the Coast Starlight is still, Heaven forbid, an iffy thing by the time you want to travel.
If time and budget allow, you might want to consider spending a night in Southern California and doing some sightseeing (a side train ride to San Diego and back is great!!!). That way you don't have to have any worries at all about the connection to #14.
amtraxmaniac Member # 2251
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Well, I don't know if there is EVER a rock solid plan in place with Amtrak. I think there is mearly a history of options and then they(Amtrak) play it by ear. I've had connection problems coming off late San Joaquins getting to the SWC. One instant required a taxi ride (at Amtrak's expense) from Bakersfield to Victorville! The last time I the SAME train was late into Bakersfield. They still could have taxied us to Victorville like before, but chose to bus everybody to San Bernardino on a Friday night and 2.5 hours before #4 was scheduled to leave San Bernardino! Anyone who knows the Southland and its freeways on a friday night can tell you THIS IS INSANITY on the part of Amtrak. Needless to say the #4 did NOT hold in San bernardino for the 41 passengers on that bus trying to get the SWC. We were all stuck in a staffless San Bernardino station until Amtrak could fetch us taxies to Los Angeles where we were put up in hotels in LA with a 24 hr layover there for the NEXT DAYS SWC!
Case in point: Amtrak will at least not leave you stranded. You may not like the alternatives, but they often will take the financial hit themselves. I suspect sometimes Amtrak plays things by ear rather than have a SPECIFIC plan in place. I suspect it may have a lot to do with who's calling the shots at the different stations.
I understand this is PURE speculation and perhaps others here have more of an inside trak (pun intended) on how these decisions are made, and who makes them.
But for your trip, the SWC rarely misses connections with the CS, but when it does, Amtrak will have SOME unpredictable plan in place. They could be bussing you to Van Nuys for all you might be able to guess.
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