Surfliner (railcar)
| Company type | Passenger railcar series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Alstom |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Bi-level intercity passenger railcars |
| Parent | Amtrak and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) |
The Surfliner series represents a collection of bi-level intercity passenger railcars, developed as an evolution of the California Car and inspired by the Superliner model. These railcars operate on Amtrak California services throughout California and are jointly owned by Amtrak and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Produced by Alstom from 1998 through 2002, the Surfliner was engineered to enhance the California Car design, incorporating features optimized for corridor routes with frequent stops. Key modifications include repositioning a restroom to the upper deck, installing power outlets at every pair of seats, relocating checked baggage compartments to the lower level within cab cars, and downsizing the café galley to expand seating capacity upstairs.
History
After encountering challenges with the 1996 delivery of California Cars, Amtrak pursued a more dependable second-generation intercity railcar tailored for the heavily trafficked San Diegan service—subsequently renamed the Pacific Surfliner. In February 1998, Amtrak placed an order for 40 Surfliner cars from Alstom, which were delivered between 2000 and 2001 and assigned numbers in the 6000 series. These units began operating on the Pacific Surfliner route as of April 2000.
Caltrans followed with an order for 22 additional cars in September 1999. Ten of these (numbered within the 6x5x series) augment Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner fleet, while twelve others (6x6x series) were allocated to extend capacity on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin lines. The final batch of Surfliner cars was completed and delivered by 2002.
Description
The Surfliner fleet includes multiple car types: standard coach cars; café/coach cars featuring food service on their lower levels; business-class cars equipped with two small galleys providing complimentary beverages; and coach/baggage/cab cars that integrate coach seating, checked baggage storage on the lower deck, and an engineer’s cab outfitted with headlights to support push-pull operation. All vehicles are outfitted with overhead luggage racks, reclining seats complete with tray tables and footrests, individual reading lights, restrooms, AmtrakConnect WiFi access, 120-volt power outlets, and wheelchair-accessible ramps. The Surfliner operates at speeds up to .
See also
- California Car (railcar) – The initial generation of bi-level intercity railcars derived from the Superliner design.
- Next Generation Bi-Level Passenger Rail Car – The discontinued third generation of Superliner-based bi-level intercity railcars.