Sprinter | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Type | DMU light rail |
System | North County Transit District |
Status | Operational |
Locale | North San Diego County, California, United States |
Termini |
Oceanside Transit Center Escondido Transit Center |
Stations | 15 |
Daily ridership | 7,800 each weekday |
Website | NCTD SPRINTER |
Operation | |
Opened | March 9, 2008 | ;
Operator(s) | Bombardier Transportation |
Rolling stock | 12 married pairs of Siemens VT642 Desiro DMUs |
Technical | |
Line length | 22 mi (35 km) |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Sprinter (styled in caps as SPRINTER) is a DMU-operated light rail line operating between Oceanside and Escondido, California, United States. The service uses the pre-existing 22 miles (35 km) Escondido Branch trackage of the San Diego Northern Railroad. Station platforms were constructed for the line’s fifteen stations serving the cities of Oceanside (western terminus), Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido (eastern terminus). The line provides service to Palomar College and California State University, San Marcos. Sprinter service operates every 30 minutes and is targeted towards commuters.
The Sprinter is operated by the North County Transit District of Oceanside, the area's public transit agency. The agency also operates the Coaster commuter rail line and the BREEZE Bus routes. Sprinter service is operated with Desiro-class diesel multiple units (DMU) manufactured by Siemens in Germany, where they are widely used by main-line regional railways. Twelve married pairs of Siemens VT642 Desiro DMUs were delivered to the Escondido Transit Center in August 2006. The vehicles were in acceptance testing in California during the early part of 2007. At Oceanside Transit Center, the Sprinter connects to three commuter rail lines (the Coaster, the Metrolink Orange County Line, and the Metrolink Inland Empire-Orange County Line), as well as to Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner regional rail line.