'' (red), ''
Pacific Surfliner '' (green) and ''
San Joaquins '' (blue) - and other Amtrak routes in California (black)]]
is a
Brand Name used by the '''
Caltrans Division of Rail''' for all state supported
Amtrak rail routes within the State of
California . It also includes an extensive network of
Thruway Motorcoach bus connections, operated by private companies under contract.
Amtrak California utilizes a color scheme and logo that is different from the standard Amtrak colors. All state owned
Locomotives and
Passenger Cars , with the exception of equipment used on the ''
Pacific Surfliner '', are painted in the "California Colors" of blue and yellow. In addition, this scheme is used on many of the connecting buses. All state-owned equipment is named for geographical features in California.
The ''
Capitol Corridor '' and the ''
San Joaquins '' are the two rail routes that are most identified with the Amtrak California image since they use "California Colored" equipment most of the time. The other state supported rail route, the ''
Pacific Surfliner '', uses a unique blue and silver paint scheme that is different from the other Amtrak California-branded trains, since the state only provides about half of its operating and equipment costs.
provides passengers with dedicated, guaranteed connections to and from Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains at the station]]
The motive power for the ''Capitol Corridor'' and ''San Joaquins'' routes is provided by 17 state-owned locomotives of which 15 are
EMD F59PHI 's numbered 2001-2015, and two are
P32-8WH 's numbered 2051 and 2052. ''Pacific Surfliner'' route also uses EMD F59PHI's but they are owned by Amtrak instead of the state. Occasionally, locomotives from Amtrak's national system, such as
GE P42 's, can be spotted working on Amtrak California routes.
State owned passenger cars, dubbed "California Cars", that are used on these three routes are a variant of Amtrak's
Superliner Bi-Level passenger cars. A major difference between California Cars and Superliners is that California Cars have two sets of doors on each side instead of only one door on the Superliners, which speeds up boarding and alighting considerably. There are two different series of passenger cars, the 6000 and 8000 series. There are a few differences between them, with 6000-series cars being newer.
Consists on the ''San Joaquins'' and ''Capitol Corridor'' routes usually include about five cars, with one locomotive and a cab control car on the other end. One of the five cars is a cafe car, with regular seating on the upper floor, and a cafe with two tables on the lower floor. Consists on the ''Pacific Surfliner'', however, are not as consistent since some Amtrak-owned equipment is also used.
The ''San Joaquins'' route runs east from
Oakland on the south side of the San Joaquin Delta through communities like
Richmond and
Martinez . It then turns southeast for its service through the
San Joaquin Valley . It makes regular stops in the valley communities of
Stockton ,
Modesto ,
Turlock /
Denair ,
Merced ,
Madera ,
Fresno ,
Hanford ,
Corcoran ,
Wasco , and then terminates in
Bakersfield . Several trains per day vary the route by approaching Bakersfield from
Sacramento with stops in
Lodi , and then continuing through Stockton at the Ace Train Station.
The ''Capitol Corridor'' route runs northeast from
San Jose to Sacramento, with stops along the east side of the
San Francisco Bay , then through Delta communities such as
Martinez and
Suisun City . It then continues northeast to Sacramento. One Capitol Corridor train per day continues east of Sacramento to the small
Sierra Nevada town of
Auburn .
The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a major commuting route in
Southern California . The entire length of the line runs from
San Luis Obispo in the north down to
San Diego . It hugs the California coast for most of the route, providing a stunning backdrop. Most trains on the Pacific Surfliner only make a portion of the trip in Southern California (from
Los Angeles to San Diego, for example). The Pacific Surfliner was originally called the
San Diegan .
