COASTER encyclopedia topics

An item such as a beermat used to prevent a drink and its container from contacting a surface
COASTER, San Diego, California regional rail service
Coaster brake, a type of bicycle brake
Coaster Step, a dance step
Roller coaster
Coaster, another name for a coastal trading vessel
Coaster, slang for a recordable optical disc which has not been properly recorded or with poor quality content on the disc, implying that it is now only useful as a beverage coaster
Coaster, a person associated with a certain coast
A member of The Coasters, an American doo-wop band
Toyota Coaster, a minibus
Coaster, a vernacular name for the brook trout

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COASTER

The San Diego Coast Express Rail, or COASTER, is a regional rail service that operates in the Central and Northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States. Lane Fernandes is currently the manager of the coaster. The service is operated by TransitAmerica on contract with North County Transit District (NCTD). The service has eight stops, in San Diego, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside. Service operates primarily during weekday peak periods, but limited weekday midday, Friday evening, and Saturday service also exist. Special evening service is provided when the San Diego Padres play Monday-Thursday evening home games.

History

San Diego Northern Railway (SDNR) purchased the tracks used by Coaster from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1994. NCTD created the subsidiary San Diego Northern Railway Corporation in 1994 and dissolved it in 2002. Revenue Coaster service began February 27, 1995. Money for right-of-way acquisition and construction costs came from TransNet, a 1987 measure that imposed a 0.5% sales tax on San Diego County residents for transportation projects. NCTD originally contracted Amtrak to provide personnel for Coaster trains. On July 1, 2006, TransitAmerica took over the day-to-day operation of the commuter train, based on a five-year, USD 45 million contract with SDNR. TransitAmerica is a subsidiary of Missouri-based Herzog Transit Services.

The Coaster carried 700,000 passengers during its first year of operation. By 2004, it was carrying 1.4 million passengers annually. Approximately 40% of weekday commuters detrain at Sorrento Valley. NCTD owns of mainline track, as well as the Escondido Branch that is served by the Sprinter that has began serivce in March 2008. The Coaster commuter train runs on of the mainline.

NCTD maintains two rail yards. One is shared with the San Diego Trolley at 12th & Imperial in Centre City San Diego. It is used to store trainsets during the midday. The other, located north of Oceanside at Stuart Mesa on Camp Pendleton, is shared with Metrolink. This is where the main maintenance facility is located.

Station stops

Station	Rail Services
Zone 1
Oceanside	COASTER Pacific Surfliner Metrolink SPRINTER
Carlsbad Village	COASTER
Zone 2
Carlsbad Poinsettia	COASTER
Encinitas	COASTER
Solana Beach	COASTER Pacific Surfliner
Zone 3
Sorrento Valley	COASTER
Zone 4
Old Town San Diego	COASTER Pacific Surfliner (Limited Weekend Service) San Diego Trolley
Downtown San Diego (Santa Fe Depot)	COASTER Pacific Surfliner San Diego Trolley

There has been revived interest in rebuilding the station at Del Mar to serve the racetrack and fairgrounds.

Ticketing

The cost of Coaster tickets is based upon the number of zones traveled (see map). Tickets must be purchased before boarding, and will occasionally be checked by roving fare inspectors (often between the Solana Beach and Sorrento Valley stations). Discounted ten-ride tickets and monthly passes are available. Seniors, the disabled, and youth discounts are also available. All tickets and passes include transfer agreements with regular NCTD buses (the "Breeze") and Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) buses and Trolleys. Coaster and Amtrak also have a Rail 2 Rail program that permits Coaster monthly pass holders and Amtrak ticket holders to use either service within the area covered by their pass or ticket. As of July 2008, regular one-way fares are as follows:

Within one zone: $4.50
Within two zones: $5.00
Within three zones: $5.50
Within four zones: $6.00

While tickets are not checked on all trips, penalties for riding the Coaster without a valid ticket include a penalty fare of up to $250. Riders cannot purchase tickets onboard the train. Monthly passes are available for between $129.00 to $168.00.

Fleet

Builder	Type	Purchased	Numbers
GM-EMD	F40PH-2C	1994	2101-2105
GM-EMD	F59PHI	2001	3001+3002
Bombardier	Bi-Level Coach	N/A	28

Most trains run with 5 coaches.

As of July 2008, a 6th coach has been added to half of the weekday trains due to an 8% jump in ridership from the previous year.

Bike rider information

'24xx' series coaches have space for 6 bikes (4 on north end, 2 on south end).
'25xx' series coaches have space for 6 bikes (all in the south end of the coach).

Connecting rail and bus transit services

The Coaster connects with Amtrak at Oceanside, Solana Beach, and San Diego. It also connects with Metrolink at Oceanside. The Coaster connects to the Trolley at Old Town and Centre City San Diego. As of March 2008, the SPRINTER light rail line connects Oceanside to Escondido.

For an additional $1.00 fare, riders can use shuttles at Sorrento Valley to access employment centers in Sorrento Valley, Sorrento Mesa, Torrey Pines, and University City. Coaster Connection shuttles also provide residents with access to the Coaster in Carlsbad. The VA Hospital, University of California, San Diego, and area employers also provide shuttle service to the Sorrento Valley station. Unfortunately, train schedules connect with shuttle buses to those employment centers in Sorrento Valley/Sorrento Mesa run very early in the mornings, with cutoff at Sorrento Valley at about 8:30 am. Later Coaster arrivals are not met by shuttles.

In Centre City and Old Town, commuters can connect with MTS Trolleys and buses, including The Flyer from Centre City to Lindbergh Field. NCTD provides "Breeze" bus service connecting with the Coaster at all North County station stops.

Future prospects

The Coaster remains stable for the foreseeable future. San Diego County voters extended the TransNet sales tax through 2038, which includes some funds for track upgrades. A new station is planned for the University City area, at Nobel Drive in the Golden Triangle. NCTD and other public agencies have expressed interest in tunnelling through Golden Triangle to avoid the circuitous route through Miramar. Plans to double track more of the NCTD-owned mainline are also being considered.