Coast Starlight

The Coast Starlight is a long-distance train by Amtrak that runs between Seattle and Los Angeles.

History

The Coast Starlight was first created by the founded in 1971 AMTRAK. Previously, there was no train which left almost the entire West Coast of the United States. The concept came closest yet the West Coast, which was operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad, perverted from Los Angeles to Portland and a through car to Seattle led. In this case, however, the West Coast drove through the San Joaquin Valley, while the Coast Starlight runs in this section along the Pacific coast, which offers passengers spectacular views.

AMTRAK summed up this connection as well as a number of other features, the sections were sailing along the Coast Starlight. This wrong at first without name from May 1, 1971 three times a week between Los Angeles and Seattle. Oakland, Los Angeles - - San Diego and Portland - On the other days only the sections were Los Angeles Seattle traveled. With the timetable of 14 November 1971, the name Coast Starlight was introduced for the train to and from Seattle and prolonged his path at the other end to San Diego, but this was only available for a few months and then taken back. In the 1990s, was for several years once a coaches group between the two cities offered. However, there is a regular and relatively frequent connections with the regional train services of the Pacific Surfliner.

The offer of the Coast Starlight was expanded and offered the daily connection. The path of the train was in parts several times changed easily. In the first half of 2008, the train reversed due to landslides in Chemult, Oregon, who had damaged the track for months. The train was notorious for long delays, which he regularly import. This earned him the nickname " Coast Star Late". From October 2005 to August 2006, was unpunctual to 98 percent, delays of five to eleven hours had not rare. The reasons were disputed by the participants. After the Union Pacific Railroad the train conceded precedence over their own freight, the punctuality has improved. Amtrak is, apart from some routes on the east coast, a pure railway companies, the carriage which he belongs railway infrastructure companies that have it almost exclusively freight trains.

Today's offer

2008, the train was revised rolling stock, which the number of passengers within a year by 15 percent from 353 657 to 406 398 could rise. The Coast Starlight is made of double-deck passenger coaches (Coach Class), sleeping car and the dining car, an observation car and a " Parlour Car". The " Parlour Cars" are particularly luxurious observation car with a cinema in the basement. Of which there are only four specimens that were built for the Santa Fe Railroad and its showpiece El Capitan in the 1950s. Also, they were worked up in 2008 and now operate exclusively in the four train sets that are for the Coast Starlight in use. The " Parlour Cars" are the passengers of sleeper reserved.

The journey of the train is scheduled moderately about 35 hours. Here, the train uses the routes of three railway infrastructure companies:

  • BNSF Railway between Seattle and Portland,
  • Union Pacific Railroad between Portland and Moorpark and
  • Metrolink between Moorpark and Los Angeles Union Station.

Route

The length of the route is approximately 2,200 kilometers. Scenic highlights include the drive directly along the Pacific coastal cliffs north of Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and the drive through the Oregon Coast Ranges.

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