California’s North County Transportation District (NCTD) on Feb. 21 kicked off a 30th anniversary celebration for COASTER, the 41-mile, eight-station regional/commuter rail service the runs from Oceanside to downtown San Diego (see map below).
The agency’s ceremony launched the first of 11 new bilevel coach and cab cars and a public tour to inaugurate them.
NCTD in 2020 awarded a contract to Bombardier (acquired by Alstom in 2021) for eight coaches and three cab cars, valued at approximately $43 million, with the option to purchase up to 27 additional cars. Among the new cars’ features, NCTD reported, are a crash energy management protection system, an enhanced monitoring system for determining issues on each coach, and improved door operations for heightened safety of passengers and crew.
The agency will continue its anniversary celebration on Feb. 27 with free COASTER rides and giveaways for customers at the Oceanside Transit Center, Carlsbad Village, and Encinitas COASTER stations. (Free rides only apply to COASTER, and are not applicable to NCTD’s SPRINTER, BREEZE, FLEX, LIFT, NCTD+, or transfers to Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) or AMTRAK services.)
In 1982, planning began for COASTER service, then known as Coast Express Rail. On June 2, 1994, the NCTD Board of Directors created a non-profit corporation called the San Diego Northern Railway to maintain, enhance and operate it. COASTER service commenced on Feb. 27, 1995, with six morning trains and six evening trains. Thirty years later, COASTER continues Oceanside to downtown San Diego service with eight stops along the way, including stations in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Sorrento Valley, and Old Town San Diego. The service has evolved to offer 192 trips per week, including 30 daily trips Monday through Friday with an additional two trips on Fridays, and 20 daily Saturday and Sunday trips year-round. The fleet has included nine Siemens Charger locomotives and 28 Bombardier bilevel coach and cab cars.
The COASTER connects with Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner at Oceanside, Solana Beach, Old Town Transit Center, and Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, as well as the Metrolink rail system at Oceanside, providing connecting service to Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It connects with the San Diego Trolley Green Line and MTS buses at Old Town Transit Center, and with all San Diego Trolley lines and MTS buses in the vicinity of the Santa Fe Depot. At Oceanside, it also connects with NCTD’s Oceanside-Escondido SPRINTER DLRT (diesel light rail transit) service.
“The partnerships we’ve forged at all levels of government are one of the critical pieces of NCTD’s continued success each and every day,” NCTD CEO Shawn M. Donaghy said. “Today [Feb. 21], we celebrate the COASTER turning 30. As our communities continue forward, we are excited about what the next 30 years will bring.”
“For decades, SANDAG has proudly partnered with NCTD to deliver real transportation options for commuters,” SANDAG Chair and Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner noted. “Today’s [Feb. 21] milestone represents a significant investment in the future of the LOSSAN rail corridor and is part of our ongoing commitment to improve transit options and boost ridership across the region.”
