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Because neither San Diego nor Goleta is equipped with a roundhouse or a turntable, trains running on the Pacific Surfliner are arranged so that the last car is one equipped with engineer controls, so that the train can be operated in either direction, allowing for a quick turnaround. The design of Los Angeles Union Station causes the train leave Los Angeles facing the opposite direction that it entered. The locomotive is facing forward from San Diego to Los Angeles (northbound) and from Goleta to Los Angeles (southbound). The entire trip from San Luis Obispo to San Diego is 371 miles (597 kilometers), and takes eight and a half hours. Much of the Pacific Surfliner's scenic route follows the Pacific coast.
The Pacific Surfliner trains usually consist of a EMD F59PHI locomotive, a business class car, a cafe car, 2 coach cars, and a baggage car equipped with engineer controls. During holiday seasons or days of heavy usage extra cars may be added. Except for one train, all the trains that run the Pacific Surfliner route consist of double-decker Superliner cars. Most cars are equipped with 120v power outlets for laptops or other electronic devices.
The Pacific Surfliner is usually on time. The last train south (Train 796) may held up to one hour if Train 11 ( Coast Starlight) from SeattleSeattle is the largest city in the U. state of Washington, and in the U. Pacific Northwest, with a total estimated population of 569,101 as of 2003. It is situated between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 108 miles (180 km) south of the Canadian bor is delayed.
Though operated by Amtrak, the Pacific Surfliner is primarily financed through funds made available by the State of California Department of TransportationCaltrans (full name: California Department of Transportation is a government agency in the state of California. Its mission is to maintain, repair, and improve roads and highways throughout the state. Caltrans is also involved with the improvement of publ.
Under the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, and later under Amtrak until the late 1990s, this same service was called the San Diegan.