Pacific Surfliner Business Class
Hi everyone, today I am going to be giving you a full review of my favorite Amtrak service, the Pacific Surfliner, AKA the train along the beach, it runs all the way from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, but today I am only riding it from LA to SD in Business Class!
Train Information:
Date: January 13th 2024
Train Types: Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Surfliner Car
Seat/Class: Business Class (Upper-Deck)
Train Time: Train: 573, LAX-SAN, 2h 53min
So let’s begin! My journey like many others on the Surfliner began at Los Angeles Union Station the middle point between the 2 legs. My train 573 was only running the lower leg from LAX to SAN. This incredible terminal is an amazing and historic place to be before your trip and I have always had a good time here, whether it’s soaking up the history or riding the LA Metro, it is a fun place to be. I also love how amazing the architecture is here. It really gives you old Hispanic vibes! On the station's West side, you will find snacks, drinks, seating, markets, and ticket offices, which are connected to the East Side Bus Plaza by an underground tunnel. In this tunnel, you will find the entrances to the platforms. Although the station is a fun place it can get boring after a while so make sure you arrive with plenty of time but not too much. Do also note that the main seating area is available for only 2 hours before your train’s scheduled departure time. They are pretty strict with this rule and I will tell you why if you keep reading!
The incredible historic Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles
Although the station may look incredible it does have some serious flaws. The main one is safety, this isn’t an issue at other Pacific Surfliner stations but it is a big one here. You will often see criminals or people on drugs simply walking around the station. This is a big problem because it is a public building, so they can’t really kick them out meaning that it is everywhere in this place. In lots of these photos, I had to crop out people smoking drugs which can say a lot about the conditions here. Either way, I still have good times even with the problems so you should be fine. It’s just something to know before you go on an Amtrak trip from here.
Some random stuff at Union Station
Once I was done doing some train-spotting and exploring the station, it was go time. So I grabbed my stuff and walked over to my track 11A where my train to San Deigo was waiting. Once I got up there it was a short walk to my train car today in Business Class.
My walk to track 11A at Union Station
Once I had arrived at my train I walked to the end of the Platform where I saw my Siemens Charger that would be taking me on the 113-mile journey down to San Diego. This is also where I saw my Pacific Business Class train car named MacArthur Park.
A good look at the train taking me to SD today
After a little while of sitting on the platform, the doors opened out of nowhere and we boarded. This process was shockingly really easy. All we had to do was show our ticket to the conductor who clarified that we had Business Class tickets, & from there, it was a small walk up the stairs to the upper deck. This is where I found a seat on the right-hand side of the train. AKA the ocean side!
The Boarding processs for Amtrak train 573 to San Diego
After walking through the endless rows of seats I finally sat down. This is where I was greeted by a super comfortable seat, plenty of legroom, a tray table, a footrest, and a power outlet. Everything you would need for a journey of this length. Overall they are nice seats that make the train really competitive against the car. Don’t be mistaken though, the Coach Class seats aren’t as nice!
A look at my seat onboard this Pacific Surfliner Business Class Car
Before I knew it we had left Union Station, we began the journey by passing the LA Metro Subway Yard then, we went under a few bridges before we passed the Amtrak yard and some more warehouses and industrial buildings. Not the most scenic start LOL
Our departure from Downtown Los Angeles
A look at the Food Options in Business Class
Once we had left Downtown LA I decided to take a look at the food choices in Business Class. This offering consisted of unlimited soft drinks, hot tea and coffee, snack boxes, and muffins. Overall it is an okay service but it could be a bit more. I also decided to check out the other Business Class seating at this time which consisted of the Long Distance Superliner Car and the lower level of my Surfliner car. The Superliner Car looked really appealing since it was empty but because this is a Pacific Surfliner review I can’t!
A look at the other Business Class Seating and our First Stop Fullerton
After making our stop in Fullerton, we passed the industrial areas of northern Orange County. This is when I decided to check out the Cafe Car, located in the Coach car closest to the Business ones. In this small lower-level section there are a few tables that are used to hold all your unhealthy food from the Market Cafe. Here you can buy warm food like hot dogs, cold salads, sandwiches, a lot of different snack packs, and plenty of chips and soft drinks. There is also alcohol, but it was super expensive. Here’s the Menu!
The Market Cafe aboard the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
After I finished up in the Cafe we passed Angel Stadium home of the Los Angeles Angels Baseball team, this was soon followed by a stop in Santa Ana and a pass through the Laguna Niguel Canyon, after that, we reached San Juan Capistrano before the beach!
The views before the ocean
Just a little while after our stop in San Juan Capistrano we had reached the ocean, AKA the best part of the trip. This was where I really thought this train beat the car. You don’t get these views from your Toyota Camry on I-5 Rebecca!
Incredible views of the ocean aboard the Pacific Surfliner
After we passed the ocean town of San Clemente we finally reached the peak of the trip, this is where the train runs right next to the sand. Shortly after that though the views decline rapidly as you reach Oceanside. This is where the train turns more inland before it begins its pass through the San Diego Canyon, we also made a stop at Solana Beach during this run. Keep that Station in the back of your mind because my return trip back to Los Angeles had an interesting encounter at Solana Beach!
Our Arrival into Oceanside and the pass through the Canyon
After a little while longer we finally reached San Diego. This is where we made our final intermediate stop at Old Town Station AKA the place where there is a cool Mexican Village and a bunch of street vendors. You can also transfer to the MTS Trolley here.
Our arrival into Downtown San Diego
After we strolled down the streets of industrial San Diego we finally arrived at the Historic Santa Fe Depot, where this trip comes to an end. So what do I think of this train, well it is amazing. I absolutely love the ocean views and how comfortable the whole trip was but there’s one problem with this whole thing. Driving is still usually faster, and I do think the privacy and convenience of a motor vehicle in southern California makes this train a bit of a disappointment. Of course, I will still ride this train for fun. But if you are a family or someone who likes privacy, this is not the trip for you I still recommend it though. And I am going to give the trip an 8/10, mostly for how amazing the views were. This train has lots of potential and I think some more funding and track ownership would go a long way in ridership for Amtrak on the Surfliner. I really love this train and I can’t wait to ride it again, even after a not-so-nice ride home, which you will see in a future blog post, but for now, this is goodbye. Oh and if anybody needs anything from San Diego I would be happy to go down and get it for you, I’m looking for excuses here!