The San Diego Coast Express Rail, or Coaster, is a commuter rail service that operates in the Central and Northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States. The service is operated by TransitAmerica on contract with North County Transit District (NCTD). The service has eight stops, in San Diego, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside. Service operates primarily during weekday peak periods, but limited weekday midday, Friday evening, and Saturday service also exist. Special evening service is provided when the San Diego Padres play Monday-Thursday evening home games.

History

San Diego Northern Railway (SDNR) purchased the tracks used by Coaster from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1994. NCTD created the subsidiary San Diego Northern Railway Corporation in 1994 and dissolved it in 2002. Revenue Coaster service began February 27, 1995. Money 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. NCTD originally contracted Amtrak to provide personnel for Coaster trains. On July 1, 2006, TransitAmerica took over the day-to-day operation of the commuter train, based on a five-year, USD 45 million contract with SDNR. TransitAmerica is a subsidiary of Missouri-based Herzog Transit Services.

The Coaster carried 700,000 passengers during its first year of operation. By 2004, it was carrying 1.4 million passengers annually. Approximately 40% of weekday commuters detrain at Sorrento Valley. NCTD owns of mainline track, as well as the Escondido Branch that is served by the Sprinter, which began serivce in March 2008. The Coaster commuter train runs on of the mainline.

NCTD maintains two rail yards. One is shared with the San Diego Trolley at 12th & Imperial in Centre City San Diego. It is used to store trainsets during the midday. The other, located north of Oceanside at Stuart Mesa on Camp Pendleton, is shared with Metrolink. This is where the main maintenance facility is located.

Consumption of alcoholic beverages is allowed onboard the Coaster for riders who are of the legal drinking age. This policy has led to some minor incidents of drunkenness.

Station stops

Station	Rail Services
Zone 1
Oceanside	Coaster Pacific Surfliner Metrolink Sprinter
Carlsbad Village	Coaster
Zone 2
Carlsbad Poinsettia	Coaster
Encinitas	Coaster
Solana Beach	Coaster Pacific Surfliner
Zone 3
Sorrento Valley	Coaster
Zone 4
Old Town San Diego	Coaster Pacific Surfliner (Limited Weekend Service) San Diego Trolley
Downtown San Diego	Coaster Pacific Surfliner San Diego Trolley

There has been revived interest in rebuilding the station at Del Mar to serve the racetrack and fairgrounds.

Ticketing

The cost of Coaster tickets is based upon the number of zones traveled (see map). Tickets must be purchased before boarding, and will occasionally be checked by roving fare inspectors (often between the Solana Beach and Sorrento Valley stations). Discounted ten-ride tickets and monthly passes are available. All tickets and passes include transfer agreements with regular NCTD buses (the "Breeze") and Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) buses and Trolleys. As of January 2009, regular one-way fares are as follows:

• Within one zone: $5.00
• Within two zones: $5.50
• Within three zones: $6.00
• Within four 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.

While tickets are not checked on all trips, penalties for riding the Coaster without a valid ticket include a penalty fare of up to $250. Riders cannot purchase tickets onboard the train. Monthly passes are available for between $144.00 to $182.00. With proof of eligibility, youth (ages 6–18) monthly passes are $91.00, while senior, disabled and Medicare monthly passes are $45.50.

Compass Card

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 rewriteable RFID card. Customers can purchase passes and add cash value on the Internet or at any ticket vending machine. When a customer boards a bus they simply tap their Compass Card on the "Validator", usually located near or on the farebox. The LED display then lights up with lights resembling that of a stoplight, and the LCD display shows text regarding the passenger's fare account. When boarding rail vehicles the Validators are located on the platform, and the same process is performed to board the train. This program is still in the pilot testing phase, and SANDAG hopes to have all bus passengers using the Compass Card by the end of 2009.

Fleet

Builder	Type	Purchased	Numbers
GM-EMD	F40PHM-2C	1994	2101-2105
GM-EMD	F59PHI	2001	3001-3002
Bombardier	Bi-Level Coach	see below	see below

Trailer numbers are 2201-2208 (1994), 2401-2406 (1997), 2501-2504 (2003)

Cabcar numbers are 2301-2308 (1994), 2309-2310 (2003)

Most trains run with 5 coaches. However, as of July 2008, a 6th coach has been added to half of the weekday trains due to an 8% jump in ridership from the previous year.

Bike rider information

2401-2406 series coaches have space for 6 bikes (4 on north end, 2 on south end).

2501-2504 series coaches have space for 6 bikes (all in the south end of the coach).

Connecting rail and bus transit services

The Coaster connects with Amtrak at Oceanside, Solana Beach, and San Diego. It also connects with Metrolink at Oceanside. The Coaster connects to the Trolley at Old Town and Centre City San Diego. As of March 2008, the Sprinter light rail line connects Oceanside to Escondido.

For an additional $1.00 fare, riders can use shuttles at Sorrento Valley to access employment centers in Sorrento Valley, Sorrento Mesa, Torrey Pines, and University City. Coaster Connection shuttles also provide residents with access to the Coaster in Carlsbad. The VA Hospital, University of California, San Diego, and area employers also provide shuttle service to the Sorrento Valley station. Unfortunately, train schedules connect with shuttle buses to those employment centers in Sorrento Valley/Sorrento Mesa run very early in the mornings, with cutoff at Sorrento Valley at about 8:30 am. Later Coaster arrivals are not met by shuttles.

In Centre City and Old Town, commuters can connect with MTS Trolleys and buses, including The Flyer from Centre City to Lindbergh Field. NCTD provides "Breeze" bus service connecting with the Coaster at all North County station stops.

Future prospects

The Coaster remains stable for the foreseeable future. San Diego County voters extended the TransNet sales tax through 2038, which includes some funds for track upgrades. A new station is planned for the University City area, at Nobel Drive in the Golden Triangle. NCTD and other public agencies have expressed interest in tunnelling through Golden Triangle to avoid the circuitous route through Miramar. Plans to double track more of the NCTD-owned mainline are also being considered.

See also

• San Diego Public Transportation

External links

• Official NCTD site
• 511sd.com - New site for sdcommute.com
• San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

References

1. [1]
2. [2]
3. Coaster Connection