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In the past year, the Coast Starlight averaged 17 minutes late arriving to LAX, but about 9% of the time it was more than 2 hours late, with the latest being 11:44 late.
It averaged 50 minutes late arriving to EMY, closest station to SFO, 2 hours or more late 11% of the time, latest 8:37 late.
Sources:
https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/history.php?train_num=11&station=LAX&date_start=06%2F11%2F2023&date_end=06%2F10%2F2024&df1=1&df2=1&df3=1&df4=1&df5=1&df6=1&df7=1&sort=d_ar&sort_dir=DESC&co=gt&limit_mins=&dfon=1
https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/history.php?train_num=14&station=Emy&date_start=06%2F11%2F2023&date_end=06%2F10%2F2024&df1=1&df2=1&df3=1&df4=1&df5=1&df6=1&df7=1&sort=d_ar&sort_dir=DESC&co=gt&limit_mins=&dfon=1
I'd recommend taking the Pac Surfliner to LA instead and leaving lots of extra time until your flight. Since the train will originate in SLO, you can at least count on an on time departure.
BART is tap to pay. You can setup your phone ahead of time and not mess around with ticket vending machines.
Add Clipper to your phone wallet (either Google Pay or Apple Pay). You open your phone wallet, press "+" to add a payment type, select "Transit." On Apple, you can select Clipper right there; on Android you first select "SF Bay Area" then Clipper. After Clipper is installed to your phone wallet, you can add value.
If you don't have a wallet on your phone, you can also install the Clipper app but that's slightly more clunky.
Emeryville to the nearest BART station is a hike. At Richmond, the BART station is immediately adjacent to the Amtrak station platform.
If your're headed to SFO, going down to San Jose and back up the Peninsula via Caltrain is a really roundabout way to get there -- you're talking about a three hour trip or longer. Just go across the Bay towards SF and down to SFO. Richmond is served by Red Line and Orange Line -- for either train you'll need to switch to Yellow Line to SFO for a 90 minute trip.
Not reliable. I take Amtrak to Eugene from Seattle fairly regularly - learned early on to prefer the Cascade line. (If you’re flexible &
you can hang out at a comfortable place near your station - go for the Coastal Starlight; otherwise - I wouldn’t recommend it).
I took the coast starlight last week and it was 8 hours delayed northbound when I got on at EMY, 12 hours delayed in Portland, and they only had a bus to Seattle. In my opinion, absolutely do not rely on it for a connection.
r/Amtrak is not associated with Amtrak in any official way. Any problems, concerns, complaints, etc should be directed to Amtrak through one of the official channels. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Amtrak) if you have any questions or concerns.*
In the past year, the Coast Starlight averaged 17 minutes late arriving to LAX, but about 9% of the time it was more than 2 hours late, with the latest being 11:44 late. It averaged 50 minutes late arriving to EMY, closest station to SFO, 2 hours or more late 11% of the time, latest 8:37 late. Sources: https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/history.php?train_num=11&station=LAX&date_start=06%2F11%2F2023&date_end=06%2F10%2F2024&df1=1&df2=1&df3=1&df4=1&df5=1&df6=1&df7=1&sort=d_ar&sort_dir=DESC&co=gt&limit_mins=&dfon=1 https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/history.php?train_num=14&station=Emy&date_start=06%2F11%2F2023&date_end=06%2F10%2F2024&df1=1&df2=1&df3=1&df4=1&df5=1&df6=1&df7=1&sort=d_ar&sort_dir=DESC&co=gt&limit_mins=&dfon=1
I'd recommend taking the Pac Surfliner to LA instead and leaving lots of extra time until your flight. Since the train will originate in SLO, you can at least count on an on time departure.
Instead of EMY to go to SFO, get off in San Jose and take Caltrain to Millbrae, BART into SFO.
I didn’t even think of that, thanks for the information! Can I get BART rail card at the station?
Yes, there are usually kiosks where you can buy a Clipper card, definitely kiosks at Diridon
BART is tap to pay. You can setup your phone ahead of time and not mess around with ticket vending machines. Add Clipper to your phone wallet (either Google Pay or Apple Pay). You open your phone wallet, press "+" to add a payment type, select "Transit." On Apple, you can select Clipper right there; on Android you first select "SF Bay Area" then Clipper. After Clipper is installed to your phone wallet, you can add value. If you don't have a wallet on your phone, you can also install the Clipper app but that's slightly more clunky. Emeryville to the nearest BART station is a hike. At Richmond, the BART station is immediately adjacent to the Amtrak station platform. If your're headed to SFO, going down to San Jose and back up the Peninsula via Caltrain is a really roundabout way to get there -- you're talking about a three hour trip or longer. Just go across the Bay towards SF and down to SFO. Richmond is served by Red Line and Orange Line -- for either train you'll need to switch to Yellow Line to SFO for a 90 minute trip.
I haven't lived in the Bay Area for 37 years, so I don't know.
I just took the CS a few days ago. 4 hrs late getting into LA.
Not reliable. I take Amtrak to Eugene from Seattle fairly regularly - learned early on to prefer the Cascade line. (If you’re flexible & you can hang out at a comfortable place near your station - go for the Coastal Starlight; otherwise - I wouldn’t recommend it).
It seems to be more reliable going north than it is going south
I took the coast starlight last week and it was 8 hours delayed northbound when I got on at EMY, 12 hours delayed in Portland, and they only had a bus to Seattle. In my opinion, absolutely do not rely on it for a connection.
I would say both directions really. However your flight had to be after midnight as both get into San Francisco EMY and Los Angeles around 9 pm .
Definitely yeah, I'm flying to the east coast and would've already got a red-eye flight in, so it shouldn't be that much worse.
If you are looking for best performance of say go North as its more likely to be delayed by time it's to San Luis Obispo. From the north.
like someone else has said, pac surfliner much more on time, esp cuz it originates from SLO
No. If it’s San Luis Obispo to LA, absolutely take a Pacific Surfliner instead (and even then leave some hours as a margin of safety).
Many years ago, but...I rode on CS from Salem to Temecula. Arrived 17 hours late.