I’m on the San Joaquins train from Sacramento to Bakersfield, and then bus to Los Angeles. I am having a hard time typing because the ride is so rough. The times when I could write in my journal, at least occasionally, are years ago. Every trip I take on the San Joaquins, and my frequent trips on the Capitol Corridor, are rougher than the last. There are many slow zones on both routes where the trains simply cannot go at full speed due to the deteriorated tracks.

Some people have claimed that that problem is not the tracks but the antique California cars (1995) that are now quite old and have not been maintained well by Amtrak (see Wikipedia: California Car). That may be part of the problem, but so are the tracks. Single level cars such as the Siemens Venture should be somewhat smoother than the bi-level California cars.

What I can say for certain is that this level of service, a ride so rough that one can’t type on a laptop, nor safely get up and walk around in some sections, is unacceptable.

Siemens Venture Trainsets

I have not yet had a chance to ride on the new Siemens Venture trainsets so that I can compare the ride quality. I have, however, seen them in stations while waiting for buses. I may have a chance to catch one on my way back north.

Note the use of the term ‘trainsets’, meaning the each consist of cars is linked together, not intended to be separated for longer or shorter trains, during normal operation. The San Joaquins trains will be hauled by Charger locomotives, also from Siemens. A cab car is the operator car on the opposite end of the train from the locomotive, so that the train can operate in either direction without reversing.

The Trains and Railroads website says this about the new Siemens Venture transets on the San Joaquins route:

“The California Department of Transportation has ordered seven Venture trainsets for the San Joaquins service with seven cars each: four coaches, two coaches with vending machines, and one cab control passenger car. Two cars per trainset will have built-in wheelchair lifts for compatibility with the low platforms used in California. The cab car and two other cars per trainset will have one vestibule per car, while the remaining cars will have two vestibules each. The San Joaquins service does not offer business class seating.”

Streetsblog California had a post on the new trainsets, which it said are running on service 710 (7:36AM from OKJ Oakland Jack London) and 719 (4:12PM from BFD Bakersfield): Review: Amtrak California Passengers are Starving for New Trains. It looks like only two trainsets are in service so far on the San Joaquins. Interestingly, there is no announcement from the San Joaquins on the new trainsets, nor any information about what trainsets are on what schedules.

Correction: There is one trainset, used both directions on 710/719. Rumor is a second trainset will be added soon, for 702/703. The 702/703 is the train that serves Sacramento directly without the bus to Stockton. A rumor from the Cafe Car attendant is that the trainsets will be modified to have a cafe car of some sort, in response to complaints such as from Streetsblog above, about the lack of food service on the new trainsets. It isn’t clear to me whether the San Joaquin JPA or Caltrans Division of Rail is more in charge of train configuration.