Would you trust taking the train from Anaheim to San Diego?

[LuAnn]

The route has been closed so often lately due to landslides. I'm a bit concerned about counting on the trains running. This would be for 11/1 and the rains might have started by then. Your thoughts? Thanks!!

[Dobby36]

I would have the same concerns and either have a back up plan, or added cushion time in case you need to be bussed, etc.  

[LynnSD]

Agreed. There’s no way to be sure.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

"Would you trust taking the train from Anaheim to San Diego?"

 

My knee jerk reaction was, 'not a chance', but it depends on the circumstances I suppose.

 

If I was going from Anaheim to SD to catch a cruise, no chance I am risking the train.

 

If I am going to San Diego after a cruise, with no set agenda, then I might risk the train, but I would not buy tickets in advance.

[GTJ]

On 8/26/2023 at 4:16 PM, LuAnn said:

The route has been closed so often lately due to landslides. I'm a bit concerned about counting on the trains running. This would be for 11/1 and the rains might have started by then. Your thoughts?

So many things in California were not built wisely. Buildings constructed on or near earthquake faults, where wildfires rage, where mud slides into them, and on unstable bluffs. The Santa Fe Surf Line is among those things built quickly, cheaply, and unwisely; despite the scenic beauty it should have been built further inland. But is the railroad so unreliable that one should affirmatively not rely upon it? I would say that any transportation is subject to disruption. One could plan on traveling by highway only to have an earthquake disrupt the plan (while there might be alternate routes, they may be longer or congested with additional traffic from the closed road). It is always good to have a Plan B for when something goes wrong. Here, Plan B could be the parallel bus service on the San Diego Freeway. With that in mind, I would not be uncomfortable with having my primary plan being to travel by railroad if that was the best (in terms of cost, comfort, timing) transportation available. It worked perfectly the last time I sailed from San Diego, having traveled from a conference in Irvine through the Santa Ana station.

 

 

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

52 minutes ago, GTJ said:

It worked perfectly the last time I sailed from San Diego, having traveled from a conference in Irvine through the Santa Ana station.

 

I've lived in So Cal the majority of my life and the last 16 years splitting time between my San Diego and Orange County homes and splitting office time between my Los Angeles and San Francisco offices.I have used the train numerous times, but after three epic failures of being more than two hours late or an outright cancellation, if I have a meeting I HAVE to be in in LA and I am in San Diego, I drive now. If one freeway is completely closed (an incredibly rare occurrence), there are others.

 

The train is flat out not reliable.

[GTJ]

17 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

[A]fter three epic failures of being more than two hours late or an outright cancellation, if I have a meeting I HAVE to be in in LA and I am in San Diego, I drive now.

Was there no practicable Plan B? I have had that situation of getting delayed but having no option to do anything else. The train had just left the origin station, and in passing through the railroad yards we struck and killed someone trespassing on the tracks. So the rain has to stop while the authorities investigated the facts and cleaned up the remains. While there were plenty of buses on the surrounding streets, there was no access to those streets from where we were (and besides, the third rail would have made it hazardous). The conductor opened up the doors for the air to circulate, but otherwise we just had to wait. I think that delay was about two hours, but the most frustrating part was not being able to get out and do anything else. I had previously been on another railcar where we had also struck and killed someone. But this was a street railway, and so the passengers without injuries could easily walk away and get to where they were going without substantial delay using Plan B. (Alas, I was injured, so I had to wait for the ambulance to transport me to the hospital.) All this said, the same could happen with a motor vehicle striking someone or otherwise becoming disabled. If on a highway, you may be able to see the local streets surrounding the highway but not able to reach them because of the hazards of walking on the highway. No mater what you choose to do, something can go wrong.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

17 minutes ago, GTJ said:

Was there ......

 

The OP asked, "Would you trust taking the train from Anaheim to San Diego?"

 

The answer is "no".

 

No meandering what ifs and verbose could bes, just a simple no.

[tw0sugar5]

Regarding taking a bus:  FLIXBUS (formerly Greyhound) partially uses the coastal toll road to get to the 5 South.  I use the toll road semi-regularly and see FLIXBUS. Parts of the toll road are quite scenic.  I prefer the northbound view though.  Especially in the evenings on nights Disneyland has fireworks.

[GTJ]

41 minutes ago, tw0sugar5 said:

Regarding taking a bus: FLIXBUS (formerly Greyhound) partially uses the coastal toll road to get to the 5 South.

Just to be certain about this: The parent corporation of FlixBus, Flix SE, purchased Greyhound Lines. That is to say, FlixBus and Greyhound Lines are two separate companies with common ownership and direction. While Greyhound Lines provides transportation through the operation of its own buses, FlixBus provides transportation through the operation by buses by other companies (it sells tickets for those other companies that whose buses are typically painted with the FlixBus logo). The buses of Greyhound Lines and the bus companies marked as FlixBus both operate along the coastal highway between Los Angeles and San Diego.

[LuAnn]

I've considered taking the Greyhound bus but I have a friend whose sons use the bus back and forth between SD and Irvine and they have had a lot of trouble with late departures, cancelled trips and change of times without any notice. So that doesn't seem to be a great option. 

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, LuAnn said:

I've considered taking the Greyhound bus but * * * with late departures, cancelled trips and change of times without any notice.

Neither Greyhound Lines, nor its new owners, Flix SE, have had much appetite for providing good bus service. Their saving grace is that airlines provide worse service. But there are good bus companies, such as Concord Coach Lines in New England, and good bus brokers, such as OurBus in New York, and many cruise passengers use and rely upon these and other bus lines (and Amtrak rail service) to get to and from the port. It should be practicable as well for there to also be good bus service in southern California and perhaps it will be forthcoming.