Landslides and bluff erosion are often the top stories on Southern California’s beleaguered coastal rail line. On a hectic morning this week, I discovered that ticket sales and other operational issues can also wreak havoc on the passenger experience.
I’ve written about state and federal investments in the San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo rail line, known as the LOSSAN corridor. Crumbling bluffs have closed parts of the line five times in three years, resulting in more than a year of complete closures, Democratic state Sen. Catherine Blakespear of Encinitas said this week at a hearing on the rail corridor.
A $3-4 billion restructuring project is planned in Del Mar to stabilize the rail line. And Blakespear’s bill to improve rail service was passed by the Assembly’s Budget Committee on Thursday.
With billions of dollars being spent on modernizing the Coastal Railroad, I wanted to see how well it works now. On Wednesday, I got up early to take the train from Oceanside to the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego to attend a Voice of San Diego staff meeting downtown.
There are two train systems on the San Diego coast: the Coaster, with numerous local stops, and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, a regional line from here to San Luis Obispo.
I arrived at the station half an hour before the Pacific Surfliner train at 8:04 a.m. That seemed like enough time to park and buy a ticket, although I was unable to purchase a ticket in person.
I checked the kiosks, but the Surfliner schedule was not listed. The Amtrak office was locked and empty. A Metrolink ticket agent explained that you could only order a Surfliner ticket by phone or online. As I opened the app to purchase the $18 ticket, I watched my train arrive and depart.
The next train was scheduled to leave at 9:04 a.m. This would mean I would be a little late for work, but I would be able to catch the end of the staff meeting. I was waiting on the main platform when I heard an announcement that my train would be departing from platform 2.
Where was it? I hastily looked for the platform and discovered that it was on the other side of the tracks. There is no bridge and crossing the tracks is strictly prohibited. Another passenger pointed to a tunnel under the tracks, so I ran through it… just in time to see the train depart.
I considered giving up and driving to San Diego, but decided to take the 9:36 a.m. coaster even though I would miss my meeting entirely.
I paid $6.50 contactless, got on the train, and found a seat. Oh, maybe not that seat; it was coated in something sticky. Instead, I took the one next to it.
The ride itself was entertaining, offering stunning views of lagoons and beaches. People in Padres gear made their way to Petco Park, and some sipped pregame cocktails from pink plastic cups. Passengers boarded the train with bikes, strollers, and a comically large duffel bag.
I wondered if I was the only one who found the ticketing system confusing. Turns out I wasn’t. A Canadian family visiting with their two young boys had similar issues with the Coaster as I did with the Surfliner. They bought three sets of tickets – two through the app and one at a kiosk – before they got tickets that worked.
I arrived at the Santa Fe Depot at 10:37 am and walked the last half mile to the Voice office. This was fairly easy, but might be more difficult for those with limited mobility or parents with small children.
That’s why transportation officials call it the “last mile problem.” People are less likely to use public transit if they can’t easily get from the bus or train stop to their home, school, or work. In North County, it’s even more complicated, as I drove 20 miles from my home to the transit center.
I spoke to James Campbell, Operations Manager at LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, and he acknowledged that the breakdowns I experienced are not isolated incidents.
“I’m sorry your trip was disappointing,” he told me. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some myself from time to time.”
Part of the challenge is that multiple rail systems use the same routes, he said. In addition to Coaster and Surfliner, the Oceanside station also serves Sprinter and Metrolink, so coordinating all of those systems can cause confusion.
Officials hope to get funding soon to reopen Amtrak’s Oceanside office, he said. (Incidentally, there is a kiosk where you can buy Surfliner tickets, but it’s inside the locked office.) They also want to improve signage so passengers can clearly see where to board their train and how to get there.
On the way home that afternoon, I exchanged the unused Surfliner ticket for a ticket north to Oceanside, courtesy of a ticket agent in San Diego. Having a real person help me made all the difference.
“Nothing replaces having a person there to help and guide you and make sure your experience is the best it can be,” Campbell said.
In El Cajon, gender politics in schools is becoming more and more exciting
In the wake of a new law in California that prohibits school districts from requiring their employees to disclose their sexual or gender identity to parents without their permission, the Cajon Valley Union School District has done just that.
The school board this week passed a policy requiring schools to inform parents when children under 12 change their name or gender pronouns.
Our own Jakob McWhinney has been reporting on the Cajon Valley policy, examining how teachers view it and why it could set the stage for another legal showdown over the school district’s LGBTQ policies. Check out my story from earlier this month to learn what the new gender identity law does and doesn’t do in schools.
Solutions to border pollution are lagging behind
Despite “herculean efforts” to improve wastewater treatment at the border, regulators missed a deadline to comply with federal water quality standards, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board said Thursday, Tammy Murga of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
You can read more about what the U.S. official in charge has done to clear the border mud in previous articles by our MacKenzie Elmer.
The Sacramento Report is published every Friday and is part of a partnership with CalMatters. Do you have tips, ideas or questions? Send them to me at [email protected].
