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My First Sprinter Trip 3/10/2008

I had been out of town when several pre-opening trips of this new service between Oceanside and Escondido were run, but I knew I would have time once it opened. I was riding a Sierra Railroad steam excursion the day after Winterail on March 9th, 2008, the day the Sprinter opened. When I learnt that service had started, I decided to ride the line after work one afternoon that week. So one day after working at McFadden Intermediate, I drove straight to the Santa Ana station and arrived there in time to catch the train south to Oceanside and the Sprinter.

Sprinter is a hybrid rail (light rail with some features similar to commuter rail) service operated by the North County Transit District in North County area of San Diego County between the cities of Escondido and Oceanside. The service uses the 22 mile Escondido Subdivision of the San Diego Northern Railroad. Station platforms were constructed for the line's fifteen stations serving the cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido. The line provides service to California State University, San Marcos and Palomar College.

The Sprinter is the first passenger train service along the Escondido Branch since the Santa Fe Railway discontinued passenger service in 1946. Originally built in 1888, the entire line had to be rebuilt to accommodate more traffic and be elevated because the line runs along a river. The funding for Sprinter originated with the TransNet Tax (Proposition C) measure passed by San Diego County voters in 1987 to relieve traffic congestion. A third of the tax was dedicated to mass transit. The $477 million project also was funded through a $152 million Full Funding Grant Agreement from the Federal Transit Administration.

NCTD purchased the line in 1992 from the Santa Fe Railroad. As the Sprinter was officially "founded" in 2005, construction started on the line that same year and was scheduled for completion in December 2007. The Sprinter was previewed on December 28, 2007 with full revenue service scheduled to begin on January 13, 2008 but opening was delayed due to safety and other concerns and began on March 9, 2008.

The Sprinter runs every 30 minutes in both directions seven days a week, from approximately 4:00 AM am to 9:00 pm. Trains run later on Friday and Saturday evenings, to approximately 10:30 pm (westbound to Oceanside) and to approximately 11:30 pm (eastbound to Escondido). Saturday/Sunday/Holiday trains operate every 30 minutes between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm and hourly before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm. It is targetted towards students and commuters.

The Sprinter serves a total of 15 stations including the two termini at Oceanside and Escondido. Three of these stations are transit centers – the two termini, Oceanside Transit Center and Escondido Transit Center, along with the Vista Transit Center station.

Sprinter service is operated with Desiro-class diesel multiple units (DMU) manufactured by Siemens in Germany and widely used by main-line regional railways. Twelve married pairs of Siemens VT642 Desiro DMUs were delivered to the Escondido Transit Center in August 2006. The vehicles were in acceptance testing in California during the early part of 2007. The passenger trains are not FRA-compliant for operation in association with freight trains; therefore freight operations on the route are not permitted during passenger operations.

Pacific Surfliner 578 arrived and I chose a seat in Car 4. We train stopped in Irvine, Laguna Niguel then San Juan Capistrano, where a large school group boarded. The now-crowded train continued to Oceanside along the Pacific Ocean shore.

A southbound view near San Onofre Creek. We met Metrolink 808 at Las Pulgas before arriving on time and on the platform closest to the station.

I walked over to the Sprinter station and purchased a day pass for four dollars then I walked to the south end of the platform.

Passengers awaiting the Sprinter's arrival.

A Sprinter train arrived and I climbed aboard.

The interior of the Sprinter.

We took off and I was able to see what the operator sees after the train passed CP Ocean.

Joining me were Howard and Sherla from Escondido. The Sprinter followed the Amtrak route past Escondido Junction, where BNSF's local trains join the line each night they runs to conductr their freight business. At CP Railroad, the freight local enters the line the Sprinter uses during the day and early evenings. We then crossed Oceanside Boulevard before turning east to the wye and the first stop at Coast Highway Station. This route was all new mileage for me except the north leg of the wye I once entered on an advance section of San Diegan 574 race train that ducked into there to get out of the way of a northbound San Diegan.

Our route took us under Interstate 5 then to Crouch Street station, our next stop.

I was surprised to see open land along this corridor. The train reached CP True, where double track started, taking us to the El Camino Real station then passed a cement plant on the north side as we made our way to the Rancho Del Oro station. All this time, we had been paralleling Loma Alta Creek. The train then continued to College Boulevard station and at CP School, the double track ended as we passed by light industries and family homes. We then ran by the last of the open land along this route. The next stop was Melrose Drive station and journeyed between residences as we reached CP Angel and more double track. Next was the Vista Transit Station before we ran to the yet unopened eastbound station of Escondido Avenue {Vista} station.

At CP Avenue, that double track ended and there were great views looking north down into Vista and the mountains. There were fills and cuts along Santa Fe Avenue as we wound through the hills to the Buena Creek station then we crossed Buena Creek before passing through the hills overlooking homes and light industries. We ran along Mission Road and at CP Missy, returned to double track. Our next stop was at Palomar College station with the school across Mission Road, followed by San Marcos Civic Center station before arriving at our next control point.

At CP Loop West, the freight low line took off going straight, while our route curved off to the south to reach Cal State San Marcos. The tracks use a blocked fill and bridges to get up and over California Highway 78 before it curved to the elevated Cal State San Marcos station with the college off to the southwest. Just east of there, at CP Shelley, the double track ended and we recrossed California Highway 78 then dropped down to CP East Loop where we rejoined the freight line.

The train ran by CP East Loop and a few minutes later, we traversed Mission Road passing back under California Highway 78 to the Nordohl Road station. At CP Holdout, we returned to double track before passing the Sprinter shops and a lumber yard that receives freight cars before we arrived at the Escondido Transit Station where I detrained for a quick picture.

The Sprinter at rest in Escondido before I boarded for my return trip to Oceanside. My ticket was checked at the door then I found a seat on the opposite side of the train so I could enjoy the views from that side.

On the way back to Oceanside, we passed the Sprinter shops and I relaxed the rest of the journey, arriving at the Oceanside station on time.

I walked away from the Sprinter but was not done yet.

Sprinter 4006.

That Sprinter has a green signal for its next trip back to Escondido while I waited for my Amtrak train to Solana Beach.

This train arrived eight minutes late and I boarded for the short trip down to Solana Beach, making several phone calls about this weekend's trips before I relaxed the rest of the way. I visited the Solana Beach station before going across the bridge and down to the Track 2 to wait for Pacific Surfliner 589.

This train arrived and I boarded the Pacific Business Class for my trip back home to Santa Ana. Conductor Egan took my Business Class ticket as we rolled north towards Oceanside and once we departed there, I decided to try some sunset pictures through the always dirty and water -potted windows of these Surfliner trainsets.

Sunset along the West Coast of the United States.

Two pictures of Catalina Island on a beautiful evening. At CP Songs, we sat and waited for both Metrolink 608 and Pacific Surfliner 784, costing us over twenty minutes. After quick stops at San Juan Capistrano and Irvine, we slowed for the new "shoofly" on Track 1 at Jeffrey Road where a new underpass was being built. The train arrived into Santa Ana, ending yet another Amtrak adventure my first trip on the Sprinter.