Amtrak California Trains at Jack London Square in Oakland (Street Running)

In Oakland near Jack London Square heavy rail tracks run in the middle of a quite busy commercial street (Embarcadero) over a stretch of four blocks. Amtrak (and also some freight trains) use these tracks frequently, making a lot of horn noise! Besides some shops and restaurants, there is even a hotel facing the street; I surely would not want to stay there.
When a train is approaching, the whole street is shut down with gates and the typical ding ding ding ding noise.
This film shows some Amtrak services on a sunny Sunday afternoon running along Embarcadero.
Enjoy!

[@JawTooth]

I actually travel around the USA looking for motels to stay in where you can watch the trains. This would be an excellent place for that. Cool video by the way

[@tomnook2612]

So thats how you could be in Florida one day and Ohio the next

[@solodatemaru]

Your car will never feel smaller than when you share the street with an oncoming train.

[@qjtvaddict]

solodatemaru can you imagine these trains running on highways good lawd the size

[@KevinPlaysGuitar]

lol, imagine looking in your rear view mirror and see a big train behind you. :)

[@alexanderfollowsChrist]

@@qjtvaddict On the freeway from Los angeles to san bernardino the tracks are in between the freeway barriers so they kinda share it to an extent

[@robbieperez3385]

Well that's a pretty big bus.

[@vincentye3869]

lol and strange

[@notmyrealname5473]

lol thats funny because busses drive on the street, but it's actually a train in the video, so it is surprising that its a train

[@b.sandra9498]

Currently staying at the Jack London Inn and really didn't knew anything about that particularity before booking. A few hours ago, we (pedestrians) got stuck on on the opposite side of the street during 12 minutes, because the main engine was pulling a 3 km long line of coaches. If the noise is really uncomfortable when the room is on the street side, I have to admit that californian trains still running through the towns is kind of a unusual yet delightful experience for a visitor.

[@buddyclem7328]

Amtrak in California has some very nice train sets! On the Cardinal, they run older engines with cars from the 40s. Years back they used to run Superliners, but that didn't last. Great video!

[@nanba25]

Amazing ! thanks for sharing

[@ronaldstaples5752]

Nothing like a clear video, and this is nothing like a clear video

[@jg-7780]

Check out the South Shore line street running in Michigan city, it runs with cars freely on the road at the same time!

[@michelsmet2611]

CSS&SB Michigan City street running was closed in February, 2022.

[@ltaproductions7989]

yes indeed, the only place in america were amtrak can be delayed because of traffic

[@cybertantra]

no, the amtrak has right of way

[@qjtvaddict]

LTA PRODUCTIONS car traffic

[@terr0rwolf]

Wow, that's really cool

[@julianfaranda]

On the phone while driving: *shouts* sorry some jackass in a train cut me off

[@MychaelHall24]

Nice video have you been on Amtrak before?

[@AirchimeLTDproductions174]

Really hope Jack London Sqaure does not become a quiet zone

[@KandiKlover]

That require certain expensive safety changes to be made first and It's in Oakland so never gonna happen lol you're good.

[@youraveragejoe2]

@@KandiKlover yayyyy

[@patrick_test123]

Well just don't use the horn, proplem solved.;)

[@goose3303]

@@patrick_test123 and illegal!

[@KevinPlaysGuitar]

Pretty cool and interesting! Has any accidents occur there?

[@hit3234847583]

How many complaints has the city got Florida has trains running through the middle of the street 24/7 and people have been complaining

[@6484373]

hit3234847583 The railroad was there before the town was. They have no right to complain about trains being there.

[@MJofLakelandX]

Same goes for many airports that have been there for a century yet people decide to move to those places then complain about jet engine noise. Like seriously?!

[@pikminlord343]

so cool

[@glendenig9962]

What is the train speed limit at JLS? Seems fast for street running. The engineers do seem to give plenty of warning however. Not sure how two healthy adults, on foot, could get hit by a train unless totally oblivious to frequent railroad traffic, in the area.

[@amtrakandcsxrailfanning164]

yea nice video

[@komischeskind]

Da will man sich ein paar "street running trains" angucken und trifft auf einen Namen, den man von DSO kennt ^^

[@Draconia111]

Nice

[@lukethegeneralelectrice60p80]

Ok train is loud ok EARRAPE OF MY EARS ARE BLEEDING

[@patrickmaloney1810]

What does the one flashing headlight mean? 1:20

[@kworkskworksz.1869]

It’s supposed to be a notification type of thing, so a driver or pedestrian sees it from a far distance and knows it’s a train, for safety reasons.

[@josephnadler5521]

It’s also supposed to be both that flash

[@GamingRailfanner]

Sometimes one of the two flashing lights (called ditchlights) stalls and thus only one works

[@hectorgaming03]

In 1:37 the train managed to scare the kids.

[@shreddermanp2]

At 3:16 Sounds Like Coaster's Cab Car #2309

[@rictrexell2118]

The Japanese want to know how do you get your trains to run so slow?

[@BryantsRailfanProductions]

Ric Trexell lol

[@danielcarroll3358]

The station is one block away. You see the trains slowing for the stop or accelerating away from the station. Also they are diesel powered and do not have the acceleration capability of electric locomotives or EMU's.

[@tommo-vc8kn]

Wouldn't make sense to run in streets at high speed. Don't know if there are any residential buildings, but imagine being a shift worker trying to sleep through that.

[@TrainTrackToby]

what the third track for?

[@railtechadventurer]

That track is not in use.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Dosen't Amtrak stop at Emryville?

[@wilddonkey9368]

Yes that's the 1st stop then Richmond

[@jrdrager]

all these people complaining about trains being to loud must take hurt feeling repost seriously and obviously don't care about anyone's saftey....next there going to say car horns are too loud....ever heard of moving or sucking up being a baby and just live with it?

[@R3VStudios]

THANK YOU!!

[@nikolassiedlecki.9845]

Safety*

[@qjtvaddict]

BXCRRCR Tyler FUCK OFF the horn is not needed other countries have safe systems WITHOUT THE HORN

[@qjtvaddict]

Nikolas Siedlecki. Nope the real reason is BS we have to do things worse cause we are special

[@FordEscape12345678]

@qjtvaddict But in America, rules are different. They are required to low their horn, otherwise, they'll be fired.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

The train is running the wrong way

[@kartiksiva7083]

how poor you are in India the train are extremely Good... but USA they are fully old train only poor American....

[@FordEscape12345678]

Maybe they can't speak english. English is probably not their first language.

[@ronaldstaples5752]

Every train in India is packed inside, anywhere someone can hang on the side and of course the roof is covered with people

[@nejator]

Somethıng very ''Stupıd'' :(

[@chillout1109]

Those horns are just too loud. How can the trains still be allowed to sound such loud horns in the middle of the town in this day and age of over-the-top health and safety rules?

[@York22]

It's federal law to blow the horn at crossings

[@dasy2k1]

+Cameron Williams that maybe so but surely on street running every sidestreet need not be classed as a grade crossing! In Europe where Street running happens (such as Switzerland) the trains run to different rules when on the street (usually very similar to trams (streetcars in US English))

[@qjtvaddict]

chillout1109 cause street running safety outside that no excuse.

[@MJofLakelandX]

If you ask me, horns need to LOUDER so that distracted people would actually pay attention at railroad crossings.

[@SebisRandomTech]

@@dasy2k1 In Europe most people aren't stupid enough or distracted enough that they need loud train horns to know one is coming. Those tracks have probably been there far longer than any roads, soooo....

[@eyesman100]

Too much unnecessary whistle noise noise pollution

[@turbochargedtransit7241]

If they didn't have to blow their K5LAs, then people would get hit by trains. Is that what you want?

[@qjtvaddict]

P32AC-DM 231 here is a better idea separate walkways preventing pedestrians from having to cross the train in the first place see that isn't so hard

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

Noise Pollution? lol

[@danielcarroll3358]

If you watched you would have seen two pedestrian overcrossings. But people don't like the extra work to use them. This is the same reason that people get in their car to drive three blocks.