With it's crew change complete, the San Joaquin Starlight highballs Bakersfield's original, ex-Southern Pacific station for its run up the Central Valley. In reality, this is Amtrak's northbound Coast Starlight detouring over Metrolink's Soledad Canyon, Union Pacific's Tehachapi Pass and Central Valley tracks as work is done on this train's usual coast line route.
Running daily between Seattle and Los Angeles, this train offers running alongside the Pacific Ocean and through the Cascade Mountains. It has been one of Amtrak's long-distance success stories.