Coast Line (California)

The Coast Line is a railroad line between Burbank, California^[a] and the San Francisco Bay Area, roughly along the Pacific Coast. It is the shortest rail route between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Though not as busy as the Surf Line, the continuation of the Coast Line southbound to San Diego, it still sees freight movements and lots of passenger trains. The Pacific Surfliner, which runs from the San Diego Santa Fe Depot to San Luis Obispo via Union Station in Los Angeles, is the third busiest Amtrak route, and the busiest outside of the Northeast Corridor between Washington D.C. and Boston.

Coast Line
The Coast Starlight navigating a horseshoe curve near San Luis Obispo.
Overview
Owner	Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (San Francisco–Tamien) Union Pacific Railway (Tamien–Moorpark) Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Moorpark–Los Angeles)
Locale	San Francisco Bay Area Central Coast Greater Los Angeles
Termini	San Francsico Los Angeles
Stations	68
Service
Type	Commuter, freight and inter-city rail
Operator(s)	Altamont Corridor Express Amtrak Caltrain Metrolink
History
Opened	1871 (first section) 1901 (final section)
Technical
Track length	470 mi (760 km)
Number of tracks	1-4
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC (San Francisco–Tamien)

History

Predecessors

The San Francisco and San Jose Railroad built the first segment of the line from San Francisco to San Jose between 1860 and 1864. The founders of the SF&SJ incorporated as the Southern Pacific Railroad, which was authorized by Congress in 1866 to connect the line from San Jose south to Needles, where it would meet the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. SP had built to Tres Pinos by 1873, however they abandoned efforts to continue the line to Coalinga, instead choosing a more inland route from Lathrop.^[1][2]

Map of the Southern Pacific Railroad's different routes into Los Angeles from the north

By 1871, SP had completed a line south from San Jose through Gilroy and Pajaro, arriving at Salinas in 1872 and Soledad in 1873.^[2] SP halted southward work at Soledad for thirteen years and started building north from Los Angeles in 1873, completing a line to Burbank. In 1886, SP had pushed south from Soledad to King City, Paso Robles, and Templeton.^[2] Two routes through to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles were considered by the company: one following the Santa Clara River Valley and a second further south across Santa Susana Pass. The former was determined to be both cheaper and quicker to initially build, though the more expensive route was also seen as a desirable future addition.^[3] By 1887, the southern portion of the line had been extended through Newhall, Saugus, and Santa Paula to Santa Barbara.^[2][4]

By 1894, SP had extended the line south over the Cuesta Pass from Templeton to San Luis Obispo.^[5] The work continued south to Guadalupe in 1895 and Surf in 1896.^[2] The 80-mile (130 km) gap between Surf and Santa Barbara was closed with the last spike driven on December 28, 1900.^[6]

Southbound Coast Daylight, at Auzerais Street in San Jose in April 1970

The first version of the Coast Line was completed by the Southern Pacific Railroad on December 31, 1900 when a train was run over the bridge at Cementerio, west of Goleta.^[7][8] Regular service did not begin immediately, pending track ballast work on several miles of the new line.^[7] It differed from the modern line with the original route running via the Ocean View line in San Francisco, the Market Street Depot in San Jose, Saugus and Santa Paula through the Santa Clara River Valley, and south into Los Angeles via the Valley Line. Passenger service began on March 31.^[2][9][b]

The work between Ventura and Carpenteria eventually allowed the construction of the Rincon sea-level road for automobile traffic to travel this formerly impassible section of coastline.

Work on the Montalvo Cutoff, which crossed the Santa Clara River to serve the farmers in the Oxnard Plain and was extended to Santa Susana in Simi Valley, began in 1898.^[2] The Santa Susana Tunnel opened in 1904 connecting with the Chatsworth cutoff from Burbank^[c] and thereafter was the main line.^[10][11] Passenger and freight traffic declined dramatically at the Hueneme wharf in Ventura County as they shifted to the railroad.^[12] A new straighter track was built between Chatsworth and Burbank to coincide with the new route, and the original line through the San Fernando Valley was designated as the Burbank branch.^[13] In 1907, the Bayshore Cutoff opened from San Bruno^[d] to San Francisco, relegating the original main line through the Bernal Cut to branch status. In 1935 the new line around downtown San Jose opened^[e] and thereafter was the main line.^[14]

In the golden era of passenger service, SP trains on the San Francisco leg of this route ran from the Third and Townsend Depot in San Francisco to the Union Station in Los Angeles. The Oakland–Los Angeles trains originated from the 16th Street Station in Oakland.

Looking south at the junction of the Coast Subdivision (left) and Peninsula Corridor (right), Santa Clara (2022)

Current lines

The line has several subdivisions.^[15] Ownership is currently split into three segments:

• Caltrain (PCJPB) from CP Lick (MP 51.6, south of Tamien yard) north to San Francisco
• Union Pacific Railroad (UP), which merged with Southern Pacific (SP) in 1996, from CP Lick south to the north end of Moorpark^[f]
  • Between CP Lick (MP 51.6) and CP Coast (MP 43.9), the Coast Line is owned by PCJPB. At CP Coast, north of Santa Clara Transit Center, the UP Coast Subdivision resumes and branches from the Peninsula Corridor, traveling north/northeast to CP Newark (MP 31.0), where it joins with the Niles Subdivision.
• Metrolink south of Moorpark

v t e Peninsula Subdivision
Legend
Salesforce Transit Center planned 0.0 mi 0 km San Francisco 0.5 mi 0.8 km Inside lead The Portal planned T-51 & T-52 Tunnel 1 1.61 mi 2.59 km 22nd Street Tunnel 2 San Francisco Bay Railroad Oakdale proposed Tunnel 3 3.9 mi 6.3 km Paul Avenue closed T Third Street (Muni Metro) Tunnel 4 5.06 mi 8.14 km Bayshore San Francisco San Mateo County 8.4 mi 13.5 km Butler Road closed 9.1 mi 14.6 km South San Francisco Ocean View Branch 11.0 mi 17.7 km San Bruno 13.56 mi 21.82 km Millbrae 15.13 mi 24.35 km Broadway weekends only 16.23 mi 26.12 km Burlingame 17.6 mi 28.3 km San Mateo 18.93 mi 30.46 km Hayward Park 19.8 mi 31.9 km Bay Meadows closed 20.14 mi 32.41 km Hillsdale 21.83 mi 35.13 km Belmont 23.09 mi 37.16 km San Carlos San Carlos set out track 25.3 mi 40.7 km Redwood City 25.90 mi 41.68 km Dumbarton Rail Corridor 26.99 mi 43.44 km 27.70 mi 44.58 km Atherton closed 28.74 mi 46.25 km Menlo Park Alma set out track San Mateo County Santa Clara County 30.00 mi 48.28 km Palo Alto 30.57 mi 49.2 km Stanford game days only Stanford branch 31.63 mi 50.9 km California Avenue 33.99 mi 54.7 km San Antonio 34.7 mi 55.8 km Castro closed 35.97 mi 57.89 km Mountain View Moffett Federal Airfield 38.62 mi 62.15 km Sunnyvale 40.62 mi 65.37 km Lawrence 43.94 mi 70.71 km UP Coast Subdivision 44.30 mi 71.29 km Santa Clara–University 45.59 mi 73.37 km College Park Coast Siding Caltrain Centralized Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility UP Warm Springs Subdivision VTA 46.85 mi 75.4 km San Jose UP Vasona Industrial Lead VTA to Alum Rock 48.56 mi 78.15 km Tamien yard storage lead Luther Industrial Lead 51.64 mi 83.11 km UP Coast Subdivision

v t e Coast Subdivision
Legend
13.5 Niles Subdivision Ardenwood proposed 30.6 Newark Lead to Dumbarton Rail Bridge 31.0 Niles Subdivision 33.88 Albrae Siding Drawbridge Alameda County Santa Clara County Coyote Creek Lick Mill station 40.74 Santa Clara–Great America ... PCJPB Peninsula Subdivision 44.7 43.93 Coast Sub Peninsula Sub Caltrain to San Francisco 44.3 Santa Clara–University 45.5 College Park Caltrain Centralized Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility Warm Springs Subdivision VTA to Winchester Transit Center 46.85 San Jose Vasona Industrial Lead VTA to Alum Rock 48.56 Tamien yard storage lead Luther Industrial Lead 50.94 51.64 Peninsula Sub Coast Sub 52.45 Capitol 55.73 Blossom Hill 67.5 Morgan Hill Morgan Hill Controlled Siding 71.23 San Martin 77.0 77.46 Gilroy 79.7 Hollister Subdivision California High Speed Rail Santa Clara County Monterey County Pajaro River Hollister Tres Pinos Watsonville Yard SCMB Pajaro/Watsonville proposed 104.0 Moss Landing Castroville proposed Monterey Branch Line 114.9 Salinas Spreckels Industrial Lead 131.2 Gonzales 140.2 Soledad Tunnel 5½ 160.3 King City 179.5 San Ardo 185.7 Wunpost 192.5 Bradley Salinas River Monterey County San Luis Obispo County 200.5 McKay 212.9 Paso Robles 218.4 Templeton 229.5 Santa Margarita Siding Tunnel 6 3610 ft 1100.3 m 236.4 Cuesta Pass elev. 1,323 ft (403 m) Tunnel 7 Tunnel 8 Tunnel 9 238.8 Serrano Siding Tunnel 11 242.7 Chorro Siding Stenner Creek Trestle 248.44 Santa Barbara Subdivision

v t e Santa Barbara Subdivision
Legend
248.44 Coast Subdivision 248.7 San Luis Obispo Central Coast Layover Facility 260.9 Grover Beach 267.0 Callender 269.0 Bromela San Luis Obispo County Santa Barbara County 272.74 273.2 Guadalupe 273.63 Santa Maria Valley Railroad 277.4 Waldorf 283.2 Devon 289.9 Narlon 293.9 Tangair Santa Ynez River UP White Hills Branch 299.4 Lompoc–Surf 304.6 Honda 314.0 Sudden 322.0 Concepcion 336.0 Gaviota 346.5 Capitan 356.5 Ellwood 358.0 Pacific Surfliner Layover 358.2 Goleta 367.4 Santa Barbara 377.8 Carpinteria Santa Barbara County Ventura County 385.3 Seacliff 394.1 Ventura 394.9 Ventura 400.0 SCRRA Montalvo Subdivision Santa Clara River 404.3 Oxnard Ventura County Railroad 413.1 Camarillo 416.4 Somis 423.1 SCRRA Ventura Subdivision

v t e Ventura Subdivision
Legend
426.4 UP Santa Barbara Subdivision Metrolink Layover Yard 427.2 Moorpark Strathearn Siding 437.5 438.1 Simi Valley 439.2 Hasson Siding 439.69 440.4 440.8 Santa Susana Tunnel 7369 ft 2246.1 m 445.5 Chatsworth 449.3 Northridge 450.2 452.1 E. San Fernando Valley LRT (2031) 455.1 Van Nuys 458.09 Hewitt Siding 460.6 Burbank Airport–South California High-Speed Rail Burbank Storage Track 462.39 Valley Subdivision

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board purchased the line on the San Francisco Peninsula north of Tamien in 1991, and the line north of Santa Clara is primarily used by passenger services. In 1992, Southern Pacific granted the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission an option to purchase the entire Coast Line for passenger train operations at 110 mi/h (180 km/h). Upgrades to signals and tracks to enable higher-speed operations were estimated to cost $360 million at the time.^[16] In the case of both purchases, SP retained freight trackage rights along those lines which continue to be held by the company's successor, Union Pacific.

Service

Freight

A Caltrain train (left) passes Union Pacific and Helm Leasing Company engines at South San Francisco, April 2014

Union Pacific freight trains run on the route, although the Fresno Subdivision through the San Joaquin Valley is the preferred north–south California route due to having easier grades and curves.^[17] The freight trains are typically local freights, empty bare-table and autorack trains. The line sees varying freight activity across its length. As of 2003^[update], the line between Niles and San Jose saw four freight trains per day, the segment between San Jose and Watsonville saw 13 freight trains per day, between Watsonville and San Luis Obispo saw 7, San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara saw 9, and 16 south of Santa Barbara to Los Angeles.^[18] Freight trains were serving San Francisco via Caltrain tracks and Union Pacific's spur between Oakdale Avenue and Cargo Way as of 2007^[update].^[19]

Passenger

Coast Starlight crossing the Santa Ynez River, July 2019

The Coast Line is used by commuter, regional, and inter-city passenger trains:

• Amtrak California
  • Pacific Surfliner (San Luis Obispo–San Diego)
  • Capitol Corridor (Auburn–San Jose)
• Amtrak Coast Starlight (Los Angeles–Seattle)
• Metrolink Ventura County Line (Ventura–Los Angeles)
• Caltrain (San Francisco–Gilroy)
• Altamont Corridor Express (San Jose–Stockton)

The southern part of the Coast Line is the northern portion of the 351-mile-long (565 km) LOSSAN Rail Corridor between San Luis Obispo and San Diego. Local agencies along with the host railroads formed the Los Angeles–San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) in 1989 to work together on upgrading the route.^[20] Millions in enhancements to improve the reliability and safety of the railroad corridor have been proposed by Caltrans and federal railroad officials. Ventura County would get rail curve realignments near Seacliff, the Santa Clara River and Montalvo in the near term for an estimated $300 million. Future rail service could include a Ventura–Santa Barbara commuter train.^[21] Long-range plans also including commuter service between Ventura and Santa Clarita along the original route through the Santa Clara River Valley. The Ventura County Transportation Commission purchased the Santa Paula Branch Line within Ventura County from Southern Pacific. While a portion of the line was abandoned after being washed out in Los Angeles County, the Great Park development will provide for a route through the community of Valencia.^[22]

See also

• Surf Line, the continuation south to San Diego
• Sunset Route, the continuation east to New Orleans
• Cal-P Line, the continuation north to Sacramento
• History of rail transportation in California
• Monterey County Rail Extension
• South Pacific Coast Railroad

References

Notes

1. 34.1861°N 118.321°W / 34.1861; -118.321 Burbank Cutoff
2. Ryan, MaryEllen; Breschini, Ph.D., Gary S. "Railroads of the Central Coast—An Overview". Monterey County Historical Society. Retrieved March 23, 2014. gives the date as January 7
3. Burbank, 34.24917°N 119.2129°W / 34.24917; -119.2129
4. San Bruno,37.631°N 122.412°W / 37.631; -122.412
5. Between 37.3414°N 121.9127°W / 37.3414; -121.9127 to 37.2848°N 121.8427°W / 37.2848; -121.8427
6. Moorpark, about 34.28488°N 118.891°W / 34.28488; -118.891

Citations

1. Daggett, Stuart (1922). Chapters on the History of the Southern Pacific. New York: Ronald Press Company. pp. 123–124.
2. "Coast Line History" (PDF). The Ferroequinologist. June 1984. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
3. Hofsomm 1986, pp. 17–18.
4. Robertson 1998, p. 240
5. Middlecamp, David (August 31, 2019). "From stagecoach robberies to railroads, SLO's new train tracks signaled end of an era". The Tribune. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
6. "New Bonds Unite Los Angeles with the Northern Metropolis". Los Angeles Herald. December 29, 1900. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
7. "Last Spike Driven on the Coast Line". The San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. January 1, 1901. p. 3. Retrieved August 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Chronology of Goleta Depot". Institute For American Research. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013 – via South Coast Railroad Museum.
9. Solomon 2005, p. 30.
10. "Southern Pacific Company, 20th Annual Report". The Economist. December 10, 1904.
11. "CHATSWORTH PARK CUTOFF LINE OPENS TODAY". Los Angeles Herald. Vol. XXXI, no. 173. March 20, 1904. p. 2.
12. Chase, J. Smeaton (1913). "Chapter VI". California Coast Trails: a Horseback Ride from Mexico to Oregon. Reprinted in "California Coast Trails: a Horseback Ride from Mexico to Oregon Chapter VI". The Double Cone Register. Vol. VIII, no. 1. Ventana Wilderness Alliance. Fall 2005.
13. Curtiss, Aaron (April 7, 1996). "Tracks to the Past". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
14. McGovern 2012, pp. 26, 125
15. SMA Rail Consulting (April 2016). "California Passenger Rail Network Schematics" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. p. 6.
16. Kaufman, Lawrence H (September 30, 1992). "LA transit agency gets option to buy SP's Coast Line route proposed for high-speed use". The Journal of Commerce. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
17. Norbom, Mary Ann (August 30, 2016). "Ride historic railcars along the coast". Santa Ynez Valley News. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
18. Union Pacific Tons per Train (PDF) (Map). Trains. 2003. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
19. Nolte, Carl (October 17, 2007). "Yes, Virginia, San Francisco does have a freight train". SF Gate. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
20. "LOSSAN Corridorwide Strategic Implementation Plan, Final Report (April 2012)" (PDF). San Luis Obispo Council of Governments. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 18, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
21. Clerici, Kevin (January 9, 2011) "Camarillo meeting to address train projects" Ventura County Star
22. Lozano, Carlos V. (April 29, 1992). "SANTA CLARITA : Panel Says Rail Line to Cost $45 Million". Los Angeles Times.

Bibliography

• Hofsomm, Donovan L. (1986). The Southern Pacific, 1901-1985. Texas A & M University Press. ISBN 9781603441278.
• McGovern, Janet (2012). Caltrain and the Peninsula Commute Service. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7622-0.
• Robertson, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History. Vol. IV. Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers. ISBN 0-87004-385-4. OCLC 13456066.
• Signor, John R. (June 15, 1995). Southern Pacific's Coast Line. Signature Press. ISBN 0-9633791-3-5. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
• Solomon, Brian (2005). Southern Pacific Passenger Trains. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9781610605076.