Sprinter (rail service)

SPRINTER
A Sprinter train near College Blvd. in July 2020
Overview
Owner	North County Transit District
Locale	North San Diego County, California, United States
Termini	Oceanside Transit Center Escondido Transit Center
Stations	15[1][2]
Website	gonctd.com
Service
Type	Hybrid rail
System	North County Transit District
Route number	399 (internal documents only)[3]
Depot(s)	Escondido Storage and Maintenance Yard
Rolling stock	12 Siemens Desiro[1]
Daily ridership	5,600 (weekdays, Q1 2024)[4]
Ridership	1,362,600 (2023)[5]
History
Opened	March 9, 2008 (March 9, 2008)[1]
Technical
Line length	22 miles (35 km)[1]
Number of tracks	Single: 56% Double: 44%[6]
Character	At-grade on exclusive right-of-way
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	50 mph (80 km/h) (top)[7] 25 mph (40 km/h) (average)
Route map SPRINTER highlighted in navy Show interactive map Legend Amtrak & Metrolink to Los Angeles Oceanside Amtrak & Coaster to San Diego Coast Highway I-5 Crouch Street El Camino Real Rancho Del Oro College Boulevard Melrose Drive Vista Civic Center–Vista Buena Creek Palomar College San Marcos Civic Center SR 78 Cal State San Marcos SR 78 Nordahl Road I-15 Storage and Maintenance Yard Escondido North County Mall (planned) All stations have parking All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram

Sprinter (stylized as SPRINTER) is a hybrid rail (light rail with some features similar to commuter rail) service operating in the North County area of San Diego County between the cities of Escondido and Oceanside, California, United States. The service uses the 22-mile (35 km) Escondido Subdivision of the San Diego Northern Railroad. Station platforms were constructed for the line's fifteen stations^[2][8] serving the cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido. The line provides service to California State University, San Marcos and Palomar College. Sprinter service operates every 30 minutes and is targeted towards students and commuters.

Sprinter is operated by the North County Transit District, the area's public transit agency. The agency also operates the Coaster commuter rail service and the Breeze transit bus services. At Oceanside Transit Center, the Sprinter connects to three commuter rail services (Coaster and the Metrolink Orange County and Inland Empire–Orange County lines), as well as to Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner inter-city rail service.

Just after the pandemic, ridership for the Sprinter declined by 46 percent (fiscal year 2020-21), according to the San Diego Union Tribune. During the pandemic, it is assumed ridership was dramatically reduced as many worked or went to school from home.