NCTD to Host Virtual Celebration to Commemorate Service Roll Out of New COASTER Locomotives and Overhauled Passenger Cars

New locomotives and passenger cars are part of a long-term, strategic plan to increase transit ridership and regional mobility over the next five years.

WHEN: Monday, February 8, 2021 at10:30 a.m.
WHERE*: In-Person (Media Only):
Oceanside Transit Center (OTC) – Platform 1 (near Burger King)
235 S. Tremont St., Oceanside, CA 92054
 
Virtual:
Media are also invited to join the virtual celebration. Video conference link to be sent upon request.
 
* The speaker and media-only event at OTC will adhere to all COVID-19 gathering guidelines, including wearing masks and maintaining six feet of distance. NCTD is inviting board members, key stakeholders, and agency partners to join the celebration via video conferencing software.

WHO: Tony Kranz, NCTD Board Chair and City of Encinitas Deputy Mayor
Kyle Krahel, District Deputy Director for U.S. Congressman Mike Levin
Catherine Blakespear, SANDAG Board Chair and City of Encinitas Mayor
Nathan Fletcher, County Board of Supervisors Chair (Air Pollution Control Board), MTS Chair - Sharing remarks via pre-recorded video

*Speakers will be available for virtual and/or in-person interviews that adhere to social distancing guidelines.
 
WHAT: Key transit officials will celebrate the passenger service roll-out of the first of NCTD’s new, multi-million-dollar Siemens locomotives and newly overhauled COASTER cars. The state-of-the-art locomotives will provide COASTER users with more reliable service and a smoother ride, reduce emissions, and enable NCTD to work toward increasing service frequencies. Alongside the locomotives, NCTD will unveil several of their newly overhauled COASTER passenger cars, which will provide a more comfortable ride and increased amenities for the traveling public. Together, the new locomotives and COASTER cars are critical to NCTD’s strategic efforts to increase transit ridership over the next five years and improve overall regional mobility in partnership with SANDAG and MTS.
 
VISUALS: Social distanced ribbon cutting
New locomotive and COASTER cars in stations
Inside of renovated COASTER car
 
About NCTD: The North County Transit District is a public transportation agency providing over 10 million passenger trips in Fiscal Year 2019 throughout North San Diego County and into downtown San Diego. NCTD is designated as a rail common carrier by the Surface Transportation Board based on the movement of interstate commerce on the tracks and the Railroad of Record by the Federal Railroad Administration responsible for safety over the entire San Diego portion of the LOSSAN corridor. NCTD’s system includes BREEZE buses (with FLEX service), COASTER commuter trains, SPRINTER hybrid rail trains, and LIFT paratransit service. NCTD’s mission is to deliver safe, convenient, reliable, and user-friendly public transportation services. For more information visit: GoNCTD.com.