Capital Corridor train #744 arrives into Santa Clara-University–(20 Photos) a few minutes late.
I board one car that’s crowded and walk back to the empty last car just behind the locomotive as we depart at 6:00, 4 minutes late. The conductor comes and scans my ticket, asking “Are there two of you?” When both of my segments pop-up. I say no, I’m going to Emeryville on this train to run an errand (getting dinner) and Sacramento on the next train, the response is “That’s Smart!”
It’s a quick ride to Great America where we stop at 6:07, 3 minutes late.
The train follows a road north and eventually I know there is marshland off in the emptiness visible through the Windows. I’ve only ridden the train here once before and that was at dawn. There is a grade crossing but few lights. A daylight ride is definately in order on this or ACE the next time I’m in the Bay Area.
- 6:21 – Slow down briefly in the middle of nowhere and then speed up again.
We come to a stop at Fremont at 6:24, 3 minutes late, on the side platform for track 2 across from the depot with only cars 1 and 2 opening.
- 6:31 – Pass a downtown, Niles
Without realizing were somewhere we come to a stop in the dark at Hayward at 6:39, still 3 minutes late. I’m still alone in the last car.
- 6:45 – Clearly see a BART station off in the distance
We slow down and switch off the main line to the Oakland Coliseum station on its own fenced off siding platform.
We slow down by highways going through a train yard.
We enter Oakland-Jack London Square at 6:56 behind a train on the other platform. A couple people walk back to sit in my now no longer empty car. (they will be the only people I share a car with the entire trip back to Sacramento) We leave at 6:58, 3 minutes late.
- 7:00– Finish going through the middle of the street and back trough the container port, between here and Martinez will be the only repeated track today (plus a tiny bit of doubling back on VTA Light Rail).
- 7:02 – Pass the maintenance facility, it’s strange to see a Surfliner attached to a Comet paint scheme Horizons cafe.
- 7:05 – Pass target as we enter Emeryville, my hour for dinner!
We arrive in Emeryville–(21 Photos) at 7:07 with Discharging Oakland-bound San Joaquin train #715 stopping at the same time.
I use the overpass to the public market, an upscale food court (with only local venders selling numerous international cuisines) and have some noodle soup for dinner and buy a brownie to eat on the train back to Sac.
I return to the empty station and find all four windows staffed! There is also some home-made looking information panels out of poster board about each Amtrak service (within California and long-distance) and various connecting services. Brochures are plentiful. There is also an excellent collection of route guides including a guide for nearly every route that has had one published (such as obscure ones for the Pere Marquette and Blue Water). The information sign has a note, No Zephyr or Starlight
7:49 – A connecting bus pulls in. About ten people walk into the station. 2 of the 4 open window agents are occupied now by these passengers!
Train #746 for the final jaunt up to Sacramento arrives on the middle track two on time at 8:03 and leaves on time at 8:05. I board an empty last car, just 3 minutes to Berkeley (I walked it once).
The conductor comes and scans my ticket automatically a paper receipt prints from a printer on his belt. I heard about this experiment but didn’t realize how seamless it would be. I bet the printers will replace paper seat checks sometime soon.
We stop at Berkeley at 8:08.
Richmond comes at 8:15, I still have the last car to myself. We pass the BART maintenance shop as I decide to read.
I totally zone out the scenery but have issues getting comfortable, moving to try a conference table. The Capital Corridor seats, with fixed plastic backs that don’t recline are definitely the least comfortable seats on Amtrak. My San Joaquin tomorrow better have a Superliner as well! The ex-NJT Amtrak modified ComArrows had way more comfy seats! (The nice roomy standard issue Amtrak ones).
We arrive at Martinez at 8:43.
8:47-Across the long bridge, then into a yard.
We Stop at Susiun-City Fairfield at 9:02.
We pull into Davis just after the last southbound train of the night passes after it’s station stop at 9:26.
I can officially now say I road the basically the entire Capital Corridor with my own private car. I see the conductor for the second and final time collecting my seat receipt.
I see the moon as we I-5 is off in the distance, crossing the marshland and heading towards Sacramento.
We slowly pull into Sacramento crossing the bridge at 9:41. “All little bit early tonight, hope you don’t mind.”
The train stops for good on the new faraway platforms at 9:42, 10 minutes early on the eastern end of the track I arrived on.
I walk the long walkway down to the underpass. The only train left tonight is the Coast Starlight. They don’t reset early like at some stations so my San Joaquin train #702 (the same one I took this morning isn’t yet on the boards)
I take the walking path out from the platforms. I don’t bother walking into the station (its out of the way) and continue down past the light rail platform and down H Street the half my back to the hostel.
To my dismay the snoring old man under me hasn’t checked-out and is still there. I brace for another sleepless night.