Coaster (rail service)
COASTER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | 90 mph (140 km/h) (top)[5] 37.8 mph (61 km/h) (average) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track owner(s) | San Diego Association of Governments and North County Transit District | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaster (stylized as COASTER) (
History
The
Coaster service began on February 27, 1995.[8] NCTD originally contracted Amtrak to provide personnel for Coaster trains.[10] In July 2006, TransitAmerica Services took over the day-to-day operation of the commuter train, based on a five-year, $45 million contract with NCTD.[10][11] In 2016, Bombardier Transportation replaced TransitAmerica as Coaster's operator.[12] In December 2018, NCTD achieved full implementation of positive train control along the entire Coaster route, making it one of only four railroads in the United States to achieve full implementation of this technology without needing an extension beyond 2018.[13]
Future
San Diego County voters extended the TransNet sales tax through 2038, which includes funding for rail track upgrades. By the early 2010s, numerous improvements such as added double track and bridge replacements were in various stages of construction and design.[14] As part of the broader North Coast Corridor project, approximately $1 billion is planned to be spent on new segments of double track between San Diego and Orange County.[15]
Limited-use stations at the
Service
More than 20 Coaster trains run on weekdays,[18] with additional service on the weekends.[19] As of April 3, 2017, Coaster also added Friday Night service with trains running until a quarter after midnight. More weekend services operate during summer months and when there are special events, such as home games for the San Diego Padres. In March 2020, all weekend trains and some weekday trains were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic; however, weekend service was reinstated on May 29, 2021.
Stations
Zone | Location | Station[20] | Connections |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Oceanside | Oceanside Transit Center | Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner North County Transit District: Sprinter Metrolink: Orange County Line, Inland Empire–Orange County Line NCTD Breeze: 101, 302, 303, 313, 318, 392, 395 Greyhound Lines |
Carlsbad | Carlsbad Village | NCTD Breeze: 101, 315, 325 | |
Carlsbad Poinsettia | NCTD Breeze: 444, 445 | ||
Encinitas
|
Encinitas | NCTD Breeze: 101, 304, 309 | |
Solana Beach
|
Solana Beach | Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner NCTD Breeze: 101, 308 | |
2 | San Diego | Sorrento Valley | MTS: 972, 973, 978, 979 |
3 | Old Town Transit Center | Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner San Diego Trolley: Green Line, Blue Line MTS: 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 84X, 88, 105, 150 | |
Santa Fe Depot | Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner San Diego Trolley: Green Line, Blue Line MTS: 83, 215, 225, 235, 280, 290, 923, 992 |
Fares and ticketing
The cost of Coaster tickets is based upon the number of
- Within one zone: $5
- Within two zones: $5.75
- Within three zones: $6.50
With proof of eligibility, senior citizens (ages 60 and over), people with disabilities, and Medicare cardholders receive a 50% discount on the above fares.
Riding the Coaster without a valid ticket may result in a penalty fare of up to $250. Riders cannot purchase tickets on board the train.
Pronto Fare System / Former Compass System
The Coaster, along with all other
The Coaster previously utilized the aforementioned contactless "Compass Card", made possible by
Ridership
The Coaster carried about 514,450 passengers during its first year of operation,[28] and ridership rose steadily in the years that followed. In 2019, Coaster ridership was approximately 1.4 million people, with an average number of 4,200 weekday boardings.[29]
Approximately 40% of weekday commuters detrain at Sorrento Valley.[citation needed]
Rolling stock
Builder | Type | Purchased | Quantity | Numbers | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Locomotives | ||||||
Siemens | SC-44 Charger | 2018–2020 | 9 | 5001–5009 |
|
|
Passenger Cars | ||||||
Bombardier | BiLevel coach | 1994 | 8 | 2201–2208 |
|
|
1997 | 6 | 2401–2406 | All cars have been overhauled. | |||
2003 | 4 | 2501–2504 | Undergoing overhaul. | |||
2020 | 8 | 42101-42108 | Delivered to NCTD in February 2024. | |||
BiLevel cab car | 1994 | 8 | 2301–2308 | To be overhauled by 2026. | ||
2003 | 2 | 2309–2310 | Both cab-cars have been overhauled. | |||
2020 | 3 | 421-423 | Expected to be delivered in 2024. |
In June 2018, the North County Transit District (NCTD) Board approved the purchase of five
In January 2020, Bombardier began to overhaul the legacy BiLevel equipment at a minimum rate of four cars per year; all 28 cars are planned to be overhauled and repainted into the new COASTER livery by 2026.[38] The coach overhaul improvements include upgraded door systems, installation of LED light fixtures, seat cushion replacements, installation of electrical charging outlets, and suspension maintenance improvements.[39]
In July 2020, the NCTD Board approved the purchase of eleven new Bombardier BiLevel passenger cars (consisting of eight coaches and three crash-energy management cab-cars) that will be used to add two trainsets to regular service and support
In August 2018, NCTD announced that they were seeking public opinions and input on a re-brand of the agency, and ran online polls for the public to vote on a new livery for Coaster equipment. The new livery, chosen by Siemens in late 2019, is being applied to the overhauled coaches and to new equipment.[41][43]
In June 2023, the NCTD board voted to sell five older bilevel cars to the
Yards
NCTD maintains and utilizes two rail yards for the Coaster. The main maintenance and storage yard, located at Stuart Mesa on
See also
- Transportation in San Diego County
- Commuter rail in North America
- List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership
References
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "Coaster Schedule" (PDF). North County Transit District. May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "COASTER Fact Sheet" (PDF). North County Transit District (Press release). March 22, 2021.
- ^ "Rail Safety Tips". North County Transit District. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ^ "Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program Sixth Round Selected Projects – Project Detail Summary" (PDF). California State Transportation Agency. April 24, 2023. p. 11. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ Diehl, Phil (June 27, 2021). "Transit district to increase Coaster commuter train service this fall". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "NCTD: Past, Present and Future" (PDF). North County Transit District. January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ Bradley, Tom Jr. (July 5, 1994). "Study: Rail susceptible to temblors". North County Times. Oceanside, CA – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Coaster". Trains Magazine. June 30, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
- ^ "Company picked to operate COASTER". San Diego Union-Tribune. December 2, 2005. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
- ^ "Coaster to tackle service delays, interruptions". San Diego Union-Tribune. May 26, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
- ^ "PTC Fact Sheet" (PDF). NCTD. July 2, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 2, 2020.
- ^ Prey, Bill; Rekola, Brett (June 2011). Capacity Expansions of LOSSAN Corridor in San Diego (PDF). APTA Rail Conference. San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) & North County Transit District. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ "California launches $US 6bn North Coast Corridor project". International railway Journal. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
- ^ Diehl, Phil (June 27, 2021). "Transit district to increase Coaster commuter train service this fall". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ Hawkins, Robert J. (November 11, 2011). "Marines, NCTD eye Camp Pendleton Coaster stop". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ "COASTER – NCTD". North County Transit District. 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "COASTER Schedule Effective April 1 – October 7, 2013" (PDF). North County Transit District. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 1, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "COASTER Stations". North County Transit District. 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Coaster Fares and Passes". North County Transit District. 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ "Public Meeting For Proposed Fare Changes" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Information. San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "Goodbye Compass – Hello PRONTO!". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Information. San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. March 3, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "PRONTO Fares". North County Transit District – NCTD. North County Transit District. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions – PRONTO". Ride PRONTO. PRONTO. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ "Introducing Compass Cash via YouTube". San Diego Metropolitan Transit system. June 27, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Ride PRONTO. PRONTO. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ "Coaster 15th Anniversary Quick Facts" (PDF). North County Transit District. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ Dickens, Matthew (February 27, 2020). "Public Transportation Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2019" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association.
- ^ "Board of Trustees on 2022-10-26 9:00 AM". rideuta.granicus.com. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "State Gas Tax Increase Gives $10.5 Million For New COASTER Trains". KPBS. January 30, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
- ^ "NCTD COASTER Improvements Fact Sheet" (PDF). North County Transit District Document Access Center. North County Transit District. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "NCTD Board Agenda Packet 9/17/2020" (PDF). North County Transit District. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ "North County Transportation District buys more Chargers, helping Siemens reach milestone". Trains Magazine. October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ "NCTD Board Agenda Packet 11/19/2020" (PDF). North County Transit District. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "NCTD Celebrates Service Roll Out for New COASTER Locomotive and Overhauled Passenger Cars" (Press release). North County Transit District. February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Coaster F40 Bound for Southern California Railway Museum". July 20, 2022.
- ^ "NCTD Key Priority Projects" (PDF). GONCTD. North County Transit District. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "NCTD COASTER Improvements Fact Sheet" (PDF). North County Transit District Document Access Center. North County Transit District. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Sklar, Debbie (July 16, 2020). "Bombardier Signs Contract with NCTD for the Supply of BiLevel Commuter Rail Cars". Times of San Diego. Times of San Diego LLC. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ a b "NCTD to replace aging Coaster train fleet". San Diego Union-Tribune. July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ Diehl, Phil (June 18, 2023). "Coaster train fleet downsizing after transportation funding fizzles". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- ^ "NCTD Board Agenda Packet 04/16/2020" (PDF). North County Transit District Document Access Center. North County Transit District. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Luczak, Marybeth (June 26, 2023). "NCTD Cutting Back Coaster Fleet". Railway Age. Retrieved June 28, 2023.