Amtrak Considers 8th Train Between San Diego and L.A.

WASHINGTON — An eighth daily round-trip train, first-class club cars and promotional fares are the first steps Amtrak is considering--for as early as April--to improve rail service between San Diego and Los Angeles.

The government-financed corporation also is researching the estimated cost and ridership if 10 daily round trips were run at sustained speeds of 100 m.p.h., with a goal of cutting substantial time from the present 2-hour, 45-minute one-way trip.

Amtrak will offer these and other proposals, both short- and long-range, to members of a three-county task force at its first meeting in California next month, signaling an era of unprecedented cooperation and consultation with local governments.

The special group of representatives from Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties will seek to boost ridership without increasing expenditures, particularly in light of the collapse in November of the controversial Bullet Train plan to run 160-m.p.h. trains every half hour at a cost of $3.1 billion.

The proposals come just as Amtrak is preparing to scrap its unsuccessful experimental express run, the Metroliner, which spawned a storm of protest from cities along the route at its inauguration last April because it bypassed four of six intermediate stations.

The express run, which will be discontinued in April, shaved about 15 minutes off the regular 2 3/4-hour trip by stopping only in Del Mar and Anaheim. For $5 more than the standard $17.85 one-way fare, passengers got reserved seating, free snacks and a newspaper.

Bitter Complaints

City officials in Oceanside, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana and Fullerton complained bitterly that they were not consulted in advance about the Metroliner experiment, which replaced one of seven daily trains shuttling each way between San Diego and Los Angeles.

They predicted all along that the Metroliner would fail because it had miscalculated passenger demand, which they contended was for more trains that stopped at all intermediate stations.

Fierce lobbying and apparent economic realities prompted Amtrak last October to add the Oceanside stop to bolster ridership. At a meeting in Fullerton with representatives of cities along the rail corridor in late November, officials for the rail corporation revealed plans to discontinue Metroliner service April 1.

At the time, local and state transportation officials asked Amtrak to reinstate a seventh San Diegan train that would stop at all six stations along the corridor. They also proposed standardized intervals between trains as well as track improvements that could cut running times for all trains. Demonstrating a new spirit of cooperation, Amtrak said it would consider the recommendations.

Task Force Idea Endorsed

In interviews here, key Amtrak officials endorsed the task force idea and especially the effort for improvements at minimum cost.

Amtrak does not expect Congress to go along with an expected Reagan Administration budget request to eliminate government funding for the corporation. But even with continued funding, perhaps at a reduced level, Amtrak will be hard-pressed to justify major new capital expenditures, the officials said.

“I know a lot of Californians don’t believe 100 high speed trains a day are necessary but would still like more frequency and higher speeds,” said James H. English, vice president of intergovernmental affairs. “But anything we do must be cost-effectve.”

A major lobbying effort for an eighth round trip has been made by state and local officials. Santa Ana Mayor Dan Griset and top Caltrans planners promoted the train in Washington meetings with English last week.

“It could be added with the October schedule changes, but the question will be whether the train can cover its operating costs,” English said. Amtrak does not want to subsidize a new train, he said. Caltrans could agree to pick up two-thirds of the operating deficit of any new train, similar to what it now does for four of the seven daily round trips, but so far it has not indicated a willingness to do so.

The Los Angeles-San Diego corridor attracted 1.22 million riders last year--about 3,200 riders a day--and required a $2.98-million subsidy after generating $14.1 million in revenues and sustaining operating costs of $17.1 million.

“The study of an eighth train centers on an early-morning arrival in San Diego,” said Ira Silverman, director of route marketing for Amtrak.

“How early it could arrive is undecided,” Silverman said. “The question is whether to put it into San Diego at 8:30 a.m. or at 9:30 a.m.”

In essence, the earlier the train arrives in San Diego, the earlier it must leave Los Angeles, making it less likely that riders would board there. Silverman does not know if there are enough additional commuters to be attracted in Orange and northern San Diego counties to justify the train.

Silverman expects a decision within a month on whether to offer first-class club service on some or all of the present seven daily round trips beginning with April schedule changes.

Wider-seat “Metroliner” cars will be used, he said.

Although Caltrans has asked Amtrak to institute the 25% round-trip discount promotional fares offered in both 1982 and 1983, Silverman said Amtrak expects that any new promotions will be more selective.

“We may target the fare only for certain trains, or only for certain cities, or only on certain days of the week,” Silverman said.

“If we do it across the board at 25% off, as previously, you need a 33% increase in riders just to keep revenues even.”