Coaster (commuter rail)

Coaster (stylized as COASTER) is a commuter rail service that operates in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States. Bombardier Transportation currently operates the service on contract with the Coaster's owner, the North County Transit District (NCTD). The commuter rail line features eight stops, with a travel time ranging to an hour and five minutes end-to-end. The Coaster first entered service on February 27, 1995, and has since grown in ridership and capacity; the service now operates primarily during weekday peak periods, with additional weekend and holiday service.
History.
The North San Diego County Transit Development Board was created in 1975 to consolidate and improve transit in northern San Diego County. Planning began for a San Diego–Oceanside commuter rail line, then called Coast Express Rail, in 1982. Funding for right-of-way acquisition and construction costs came from TransNet, a 1987 measure that imposed a 0.5% sales tax on San Diego County residents for transportation projects. The Board established the San Diego Northern Railway Corporation (SDNR) - a nonprofit operating subsidiary - in 1994. SDNR purchased the of the Surf Line within San Diego County plus the Escondido Branch (later used for the SPRINTER) from the Santa Fe Railway that year.
Coaster service began on February 27, 1995. NCTD originally contracted Amtrak to provide personnel for Coaster trains. 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. In 2016, Bombardier Transportation replaced TransitAmerica as Coaster's operator. 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.
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. 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.
A northward extension to Camp Pendleton was proposed in 2011 Limited-use stations at the San Diego Convention Center and the Del Mar Racetrack for use during major events have also been proposed.
Service.
More than 20 Coaster trains run on weekdays, with additional service on the weekends. As of the April 3, 2017 schedule, 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. As of March 23, 2020, all weekend trains and some weekday trains are suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic; some trains, however, are planned to be reinstated to the schedule sometime in 2021.
Stations.
Connecting rail and bus services.
The Coaster connects fully with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner at Oceanside, Solana Beach, Old Town Transit Center, and Santa Fe Depot in San Diego.
The Coaster also connects with the Metrolink rail system at Oceanside, providing connecting service to Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It connects to the San Diego Trolley (Green Line) and MTS buses at the Old Town Transit Center; it also connects to the San Diego Trolley ("all" lines) and MTS buses in the vicinity of the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego – including to the MTS Route 992 bus which offers direct service to Lindbergh Field from Downtown San Diego. Finally, the Coaster connects with BREEZE buses at all North San Diego County station stops.
Fares and ticketing.
The cost of Coaster tickets is based upon the number of zones traveled (see map). Fare collection is based on a proof-of-payment system: tickets must be purchased before boarding and are checked by roving fare inspectors. Monthly passes are available. All tickets and passes include transfer agreements with NCTD BREEZE buses and monthly passes include transfer with the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) buses and Trolleys. On January 20, 2011, the NCTD implemented a fare reduction, which to increased ridership on the Coaster and so was made permanent in September 2011. , regular one-way fares are as follows:
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.
Compass and PRONTO cards.
In September 2008, SANDAG introduced a new contactless "Compass Card", made possible by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc. The "Compass Card" allows passengers from MTS and NCTD to store regional transit passes and cash value on a rewritable RFID card. Customers can purchase passes and add cash value on the Internet or at any ticket vending machine. Prior to boarding a train, customers tap their Compass Cards on the ticket validator located on the train platform. The LED display on the validator then lights up with lights resembling that of a stoplight, and the LCD display shows text regarding the passenger's fare account.
The Coaster, along with all other NCTD and MTS services, will begin to utilize the new Pronto fare system upon its public release in the summer of 2021 and the concurrent retirement of the "Compass Card." As a replacement for the current "Compass Card," the Pronto fare system will allow for a tap-on, tap-off approach, so riders on the Coaster will need to tap-on when entering the station platform, and tap-off again arriving at the destination stop, in order to deduct the correct fare.
Ridership.
The Coaster carried about 514,450 passengers during its first year of operation, and ridership rose steadily in the years that followed. In 2012, Coaster ridership was approximately 1.6 million people, with an average number of 5,600 weekday boardings.
Approximately 40% of weekday commuters detrain at Sorrento Valley.
Rolling stock.
In June 2018, the North County Transit District (NCTD) Board approved the purchase of five Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotives to replace their existing five F40PHM-2C locomotives that were remanufactured by Morrison-Knudsen, with $10.5 million of the estimated $53.9 million cost earmarked from statewide gas tax and vehicle registration fees. In June 2019, the NCTD Board approved the purchase of two additional SC-44 Chargers that are planned to replace the two F59PHI locomotives; they are due for delivery in late 2022. In September 2020, the NCTD Board approved the purchase of the final two SC-44 Chargers that are planned to be used for expansion purposes; they will be due for delivery in April 2023. Deliveries of the first five SC-44 Charger locomotives took place from August–October 2020; they began revenue service on February 8, 2021. The five F40PHM-2C locomotives were concurrently retired on February 8, 2021, as well; they are planned to be donated to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, California sometime in the near future.
In January 2020, NCTD and Bombardier began to overhaul the legacy Bombardier 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. 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.
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 SANDAG expansion upon delivery in late 2022. The base order also includes options for 27 additional cars, but such options have not currently been exercised.<ref name="ut 7/20"></ref>
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 was chosen by Siemens in late 2019, and it is currently being applied to the overhauled coaches and Charger locomotives. The new livery will also be applied to the new Bombardier BiLevel passenger cars that are scheduled for delivery in 2022.
Yards.
NCTD maintains and utilizes two rail yards for the Coaster. The main maintenance and storage yard, located at Stuart Mesa on Camp Pendleton, is just north of the Oceanside Transit Center station. This is where locomotives, coaches, and cab-cars are stored for the night, and where trains are serviced and maintained. NCTD also utilizes Tracks 25, 26 and 27 of the San Diego Trolley yard at 12th and Imperial in Centre City San Diego to store trains during the midday and for weekday train staging; as aforementioned previously, this yard is shared with the San Diego Trolley and the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad.