Coaster (stylized as COASTER) is a

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

service in the central and northern coastal regions of

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

, United States operated by the

North County Transit District The North County Transit District (typically abbreviated as NCTD) is the agency responsible for public transportation in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the COASTER commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Die ...

(NCTD). The commuter rail line features eight stops, with a travel time of about an hour and five minutes end-to-end. The service operates primarily during weekday peak periods, with limited midday, weekend and holiday service. The Coaster first entered service on February 27, 1995, and has since grown in ridership and capacity. In , the line had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .

History

The North San Diego County Transit Development Board was created in 1975 to consolidate and improve transit in northern San Diego County. Planning began for a San Diego–Oceanside commuter rail line, then called Coast Express Rail, in 1982. Funding for right-of-way acquisition and construction costs came from TransNet, a 1987 measure that imposed a 0.5%

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a gove ...

on San Diego County residents for transportation projects. The Board established the San Diego Northern Railway Corporation (SDNR) – a nonprofit operating subsidiary – in 1994. SDNR purchased the of the Surf Line within San Diego County plus the Escondido Branch (later used for the SPRINTER) from the Santa Fe Railway that year. Coaster service began on February 27, 1995. NCTD originally contracted

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

to provide personnel for Coaster trains. In July 2006,

TransitAmerica Services TransitAmerica Services, Inc. is an American commuter rail corporation headquartered in St Joseph, Missouri. Corporate history In November 2002, Herzog Contracting Corp. and Stagecoach Group announced a corporate partnership to form TransitAme ...

took over the day-to-day operation of the commuter train, based on a five-year, $45 million contract with NCTD. In 2016,

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...

replaced TransitAmerica as Coaster's operator. In December 2018, NCTD achieved full implementation of

positive train control Positive train control (PTC) is a family of automatic train protection systems deployed in the United States. Most of the United States' national rail network mileage has a form of PTC. These systems are generally designed to check that trains a ...

along the entire Coaster route, making it one of only four railroads in the United States to achieve full implementation of this technology without needing an extension beyond 2018.

Future

San Diego County voters extended the ''TransNet'' sales tax through 2038, which includes funding for rail track upgrades. By the early 2010s, numerous improvements such as added double track and bridge replacements were in various stages of construction and design. As part of the broader

North Coast Corridor The North Coast Corridor is an infrastructure improvement project in northern San Diego County, California that will upgrade road, rail, pedestrian, and bicycle transportation infrastructure, as well as fund environmental restoration. The project ...

project, approximately $1 billion is planned to be spent on new segments of double track between San Diego and Orange County. Limited-use stations at the

San Diego Convention Center The San Diego Convention Center is the primary convention center in San Diego, California. It is located in the Marina district of downtown San Diego near the Gaslamp Quarter, at 111 West Harbor Drive. The center is managed by the San Diego C ...

and the

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a event venue in Del Mar, California. The annual San Diego County Fair is held here, which was called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. In 1936, the Del Mar Racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club with foundi ...

for use during major events have been planned, and is expected to complete construction of the stations in late 2025. A northward extension to

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

was also proposed in 2011.

Service

More than 20 Coaster trains run on weekdays, with additional service on the weekends. As of April 3, 2017, Coaster also added Friday Night service with trains running until a quarter after midnight. More weekend services operate during summer months and when there are special events, such as home games for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

. In March of 2020, all weekend trains and some weekday trains were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic; however, weekend service was reinstated on May 29, 2021.

Stations

Fares and ticketing

The cost of Coaster tickets is based upon the number of zones traveled (see map). Fare collection is based on a

proof-of-payment Proof-of-payment (POP) or proof-of-fare (POF) is an honor-based fare collection system used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, passengers are required to carry a ticket, pa ...

system: tickets must be purchased before boarding and are checked by roving fare inspectors. Monthly passes are available. All tickets and passes include transfer agreements with NCTD BREEZE buses and monthly passes include transfer with the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) buses and Trolleys. On January 20, 2011, the NCTD implemented a fare reduction, which to increased ridership on the Coaster and so was made permanent in September 2011. , regular one-way fares are as follows: *Within one zone: $5 *Within two zones: $5.75 *Within three zones: $6.50 With proof of eligibility, senior citizens (ages 60 and over), people with disabilities, and Medicare cardholders receive a 50% discount on the above fares. Riding the Coaster without a valid ticket may result in a penalty fare of up to $250. Riders cannot purchase tickets on board the train.

Pronto Fare System / Former Compass System

The Coaster, along with all other

NCTD The North County Transit District (typically abbreviated as NCTD) is the agency responsible for public transportation in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the COASTER commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Die ...

and MTS services, utilizes the new Pronto contactless fare system introduced in September 2021 by INIT Systems and

SANDAG The San Diego Association of Governments (abbreviated SANDAG) is an association of local San Diego County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the County, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and Cou ...

; the Pronto system succeeded the first-generation Compass Card system." As a replacement for the original "Compass Card," the Pronto fare system allows for a tap-on, tap-off approach, so riders on the Coaster can tap-on when entering the station platform (using one of the station's validators), and tap-off when arriving at the destination stop, in order to deduct the correct fare. However, unlike other NCTD and MTS services, Pronto users for Coaster are required to purchase Day or Monthly Passes prior to riding due to different electronic ticket requirements. These passes along with general Pronto cards can be physically purchased at Pronto ticket vending machines at NCTD facilities, or in customer service centers; electronic versions can be purchased through the website or through the mobile applications. The Coaster previously utilized the aforementioned contactless "Compass Card", made possible by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc. The "Compass Card" allowed passengers from MTS and NCTD to store regional transit passes and cash value on a rewritable

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromag ...

card. Customers would have purchased passes and added cash value on the Internet or at any ticket vending machine. Prior to boarding a train, customers tapped their Compass Cards on the ticket validator located on the train platform. The LED display on the validator would then light up with lights resembling that of a stoplight, and the LCD display showed text regarding the passenger's fare account. The new Pronto system now used expanded upon many of the design concepts previously employed with the Compass Card system.

Ridership

The Coaster carried about 514,450 passengers during its first year of operation, and ridership rose steadily in the years that followed. In 2019, Coaster ridership was approximately 1.4 million people, with an average number of 4,200 weekday boardings. Approximately 40% of weekday commuters detrain at Sorrento Valley.

Rolling stock

{, class="wikitable" ! Builder ! Type ! Purchased ! Quantity ! Numbers ! Notes ! Image , - , colspan="7" align="center" , Locomotives , - , rowspan="2" , EMD , F40PHM-2C , 1994 , 5 , 2101–2105 , {{Plainlist, * Previously rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen. * Retired on February 8, 2021. 2103 donated to the

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Campo, California, on the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway line. The museum also owns and manages a railroad depot located in La Mesa, California. Facilities Campo Sin ...

, 2105 donated to Southern California Railway Museum. , Coaster F40PHM-2C 2104 at Solana Beach, CA

, - , F59PHI , 2001 , 2 , 3001–3002 , {{Plainlist, * Both locomotives were placed into storage on February 8, 2021. * They re-entered service with the increased schedule starting October 25, 2021. * Set to be retired in 2023. , Coaster train San Diego 2013-06 (9411010614)

Coaster train San Diego 2013-06 (9411010614)

, - ,

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', ''E ...

, SC-44 Charger , 2018–2020 , 9 , 5001–5009 , {{Plainlist, * 5001–5005 entered service on February 8, 2021, replacing the F40PHM-2C. * 5006 and 5007 will replace the F59PHI locomotives upon delivery in late 2022. * 5008 and 5009 will be used for fleet expansion upon delivery in April 2023. , Santa Fe Depot 5004

, - , colspan="7" align="center" , Passenger Cars , - , rowspan=7 , Bombardier , rowspan=4 , BiLevel coach , 1994 , 8 , 2201–2208 , Undergoing overhaul. , Phase I Livery COASTER 2205

, - , 1997 , 6 , 2401–2406 , All cars have been overhauled. , Phase II Livery COASTER 2402

, - , 2003 , 4 , 2501–2504 , Undergoing overhaul. , Phase I Livery COASTER 2501

, - , 2020 , 8 , TBA , Expected to be delivered in late 2022. , , - , rowspan=3 , BiLevel cab car , 1994 , 8 , 2301–2308 , To be overhauled by 2026. , Two COASTER Cabcars

, - , 2003 , 2 , 2309–2310 , All cars have been overhauled. , NCTD COASTER 2310 Wide-Shot

, - , 2020 , 3 , TBA , Expected to be delivered in late 2022. , NCTD Bombardier Bi-level

In June 2018, the North County Transit District (NCTD) Board approved the purchase of five

SC-44 Charger locomotives to replace their existing five F40PHM-2C locomotives that were remanufactured by Morrison-Knudsen, with $10.5 million of the estimated $53.9 million cost earmarked from statewide gas tax and vehicle registration fees. In June 2019, the NCTD Board approved the purchase of two additional SC-44 locomotives to replace two EMD F59PHI locomotives; they are due for delivery in late 2022. In September 2020, the NCTD Board approved the purchase of two more SC-44 Chargers, for a total of nine; planned for delivery in April 2023, they will be used to expand service. Deliveries of the first five Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotives took place from August–October 2020; they began revenue service on February 8, 2021, the same day Coaster retired their five F40PHM-2C locomotives. Two locomotives were donated; 2103 to the

, and 2105 to the Southern California Railway Museum. In January 2020, Bombardier began to overhaul the legacy BiLevel equipment at a minimum rate of four cars per year; all 28 cars are planned to be overhauled and repainted into the new COASTER livery by 2026. The coach overhaul improvements include upgraded door systems, installation of LED light fixtures, seat cushion replacements, installation of electrical charging outlets, and suspension maintenance improvements. In July 2020, the NCTD Board approved the purchase of eleven new Bombardier BiLevel passenger cars (consisting of eight coaches and three crash-energy management cab-cars) that will be used to add two trainsets to regular service and support

expansion upon delivery in late 2022. The base order also includes options for 27 additional cars, but such options have not currently been exercised.{{Cite web , date=July 22, 2020 , title=NCTD to replace aging Coaster train fleet , url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/oceanside/story/2020-07-22/nctd-to-replace-aging-coaster-fleet , access-date=July 26, 2020 , publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune In August 2018, NCTD announced that they were seeking public opinions and input on a re-brand of the agency, and ran online polls for the public to vote on a new livery for Coaster equipment. The new livery, chosen by Siemens in late 2019, is being applied to the overhauled coaches and to new equipment.{{Cite web , title=NCTD Board Agenda Packet 04/16/2020 , url=https://lfportal.nctd.org/weblink/0/edoc/151007/Board%20Agenda%20Packet%2004162020%20-%20REVISED.pdf , access-date=November 30, 2020 , website=North County Transit District Document Access Center , publisher=North County Transit District

Yards

NCTD maintains and utilizes two rail yards for the Coaster. The main maintenance and storage yard, located at Stuart Mesa on

, just north of the Oceanside Transit Center. This is where trains are serviced, maintained and stored for the night.{{Cn, date=November 2022 NCTD also utilizes Tracks 25, 26 and 27 of a yard shared by the

San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. It is known colloquially as "The Trolley". The Trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI), is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Tra ...

and the

San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad The San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad (SD&IV) is a class III railroad operating freight rail service in the San Diego area, providing service to customers in the region and moving railcars between the end of the BNSF Railway in Downtown San ...

at 12th and Imperial in

Downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the city center of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. In 2010, the Centre City area had a population of more than 28,000. Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural and financial center and ...

to store trains during midday hours.{{Cn, date=November 2022

References

{{Reflist

External links

{{Attached KML , display=title,inline {{Commons category, Coaster (San Diego)
Coaster – official NCTD site511sd.com—New site for sdcommute.comSan Diego Metropolitan Transit System
{{Coaster (San Diego) {{Public Transportation in Greater San Diego {{USCommRail {{California railroads North County Transit District Passenger rail transportation in California California railroads Commuter rail in the United States Transportation in San Diego Public transportation in San Diego County, California Railway lines opened in 1995 Standard gauge railways in the United States 1995 establishments in California