1. History
    Future 

2. Service
    Station stops  Connecting rail and bus transit services  Fares and ticketing  Compass cards  Ridership 

3. Rolling stock
    Yards 

4. See also

5. References

6. External links

Coaster (stylized as COASTER) {{Reporting mark|NCTC}} is a commuter rail service that operates in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States. The service is currently operated by Bombardier Transportation on contract with North County Transit District (NCTD). The service has eight stops and operates primarily during weekday peak periods, with additional weekend and holiday service.

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.^[5] Funding 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.^[5] The Board established the San Diego Northern Railway Corporation (SDNR) - a nonprofit operating subsidiary - in 1994.^[5] SDNR purchased {{convert|41|miles}} of the Surf Line plus the {{convert|22|miles|adj=on}} Escondido Branch (later used for the SPRINTER) from the Santa Fe Railway that year.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

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.^[9] As part of the broader North Coast Corridor project, approximately $1 billion is planned to be spent on new segments of double track between San Diego and Orange County.^[10]

NCTD plans to extend COASTER service north to Camp Pendleton^[5][11] The agency also plans to build limited-use stations at the Convention Center and the Del Mar Racetrack for use during major events.^[12][13]

Service

More than 20 COASTER trains run on weekdays,^[14] with additional service on the weekends.^[15] As of the April 3, 2017 schedule, 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 (e.g. Padres games)

Station stops

Connecting rail and bus transit services

The COASTER connects fully with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner at Oceanside, Solana Beach, Old Town Transit Center, and Santa Fe Depot in San Diego.

The COASTER also connects with the Metrolink rail system at Oceanside, providing connecting service to Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It connects to the San Diego Trolley (Green Line) and MTS buses at the Old Town Transit Center; it also connects to the San Diego Trolley (all lines) and MTS buses in the vicinity of the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego – including to the MTS Route 992 bus which offers direct service to Lindbergh Field from Downtown San Diego. Finally, the COASTER connects with BREEZE buses at all North San Diego County station stops (i.e. in Zone 1).

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 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 – the fare reduction led to increased ridership on the COASTER and so was made a permanent fare reduction in September 2011. As of January 2012, regular one-way fares are as follows:^[17]

• Within one zone: $4
• Within two zones: $5
• Within three zones: $5.50

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.

Compass cards

In September 2008, SANDAG introduced a new contactless "Compass Card", made possible by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc. The "Compass Card" allows passengers from MTS and NCTD to store regional transit passes and cash value on a rewritable RFID card. Customers can purchase passes and add cash value on the Internet or at any ticket vending machine. Prior to boarding a train, customers tap their Compass Cards on the ticket validator located on the train platform. The LED display on the validator then lights up with lights resembling that of a stoplight, and the LCD display shows text regarding the passenger's fare account.

Ridership

The COASTER carried about 514,450 passengers during its first year of operation,^[18] and ridership rose steadily in the years that followed. In 2012, COASTER ridership was approximately 1.6 million people, with an average number of 5,600 weekday boardings.^[1]

Approximately 40% of weekday commuters detrain at Sorrento Valley.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}

Rolling stock

In June 2018, the North County Transit District Board of Directors approved the purchase of five Siemens Charger locomotives to replace their existing five F40PHM-2C locomotives that were remanufactured by Morrison-Knudsen. Deliveries are expected in the first half of 2021, with $10.5 million of the estimated $53.9 million cost earmarked from statewide gas tax and vehicle registration fees.^[19]

In August 2018, NCTD announced that they were seeking public opinions and input on a re-brand of the agency. This included two new paint scheme ideas for COASTER, along with the existing scheme being used as a third option. The new COASTER livery will be decided upon by agency officials depending on the public input and will be painted on the new Siemens Chargers and passenger cars in 2021.

Yards

NCTD maintains two rail storage yards for the COASTER. The main storage yard, located north of Oceanside at Stuart Mesa on Camp Pendleton, is just north of the Oceanside station stop. This is where cars are stored for the night and trains are serviced, although due to the small size of the yard, COASTER trainsets are also stored at the nearby Fallbrook Yard when out of service. Tracks 25, 26 and 27 of the San Diego Trolleys' yard at 12th and Imperial in Centre City San Diego is used to store train-sets during the midday and for weekday train staging, and is shared with the San Diego Trolley and the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad.

See also

• Transportation in San Diego County
• Commuter rail in North America
• List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership

References

External links

• Coaster - official NCTD site
• 511sd.com—New site for sdcommute.com
• San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

• Herr der Welt
• Herr (disambiguation)
• Herreavdelingen
• Herre (grape)
• Herrells
• Herrell's Ice Cream
• Herrena and ttakuna
• Herrena (Discworld)
• Herrenchiemsee Convention
• Herrenchiemsee convention
• Herrengasse 23
• Herrengasse 23 (Bern)
• Herrengasse 23 (disambiguation)
• Herrengasse (Bern)
• Herrenhandtasche
• Herrenhaueser Gardens
• Herrenhaus (Austria)
• Herrenhauser Brewery
• Herrenhaus Krummbek
• Herrenhaus of Austria
• Herrenhaus of Prussia
• Herrenhaus Wellingsbüttel
• Herrenhäuser Brewery
• Herrenhäuser Gärten Hannover
• Herrenknecht