Cal State San Marcos Station is the one intermediate station on the 1.8 mile, elevated on a concrete guideway (2 tracks until just east of this station), San Marcos Loop where Sprinter leaves and then returns after the station to the freight ROW it follows for the rest of its 22 mile route. This passenger only branch (freight trains still use the original ROW) crosses the freeway of State Route 78 twice before and after stopping at this station. The elevated station has a single island platform that lacks the usual gap fillers since there no freight trains to hit the platform edge so it is right up against the sides of the train cars. The platform still has fencing except for four openings on each side that align with the doors of a would be 2 DMUs train. Both sides of the platform have tactile warning strips for there entire lengths although they are mostly covered by fencing. The station is Sprinters only elevated stop on the only section of line not at grade. The station platform has three canopy structures along it. These have the standard design but brown stones in the normal concrete bases, and light brown curved beams holding up the arced roof. The primary entrance to the station is at the western end of the platform a staircase followed by an elevator, the only one on Sprinter leads down to an entrance area (with bike parking) at the SW corner of Barham Drive and La Moree Road (which the station crosses above). TVMs are at street level. There is a secondary entrance at the eastern end of the platform where it goes down to track level before reaching a level crossing of the southern Escondido-bound track and a ramp that switchbacks down to Barham Lane midblock. This entrance lacks its own TVM (just a Compass Card target), the only one is at the other entrance down the block and across the street.
All Photos taken on 21 March, 2011
San Marcos Civic Center