A headline caught my eye one Monday, which led to a few things happening, including the creation of a new post, and the topic of this newsletter.
San Joaquins Gets a New Name: Welcome to Amtrak's Gold Runner
The Amtrak San Joaquins service is being renamed the Gold Runner—a name paying homage to the state's Gold Rush history and the golden hills of the Central Valley. The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority announced this in March 2025. The rebranding creates a distinct identity as the service continues to expand. Personally, I like the name change because it is easier for me to spell.
Don't worry: the trains, routes, and service you rely on stay the same. The transition lasts through 2027, so you'll still see "San Joaquins" in booking systems and at stations for a while. As of Monday, the old name still appears in Amtrak bookings.
The Current Food Situation
There is an update about the San Joaquins/Gold Runners food situation. Since May 5, 2025, free snacks and drinks have replaced the paid café car. The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority made this decision while waiting for café cars to arrive for the new Venture trainsets. At least, that is how I interpret the situation.
The Gold Runner follows the exact arrangement until the café cars are ready for service. So, if you'll be on the train for a while, I recommend bringing some food.
Where Are People Actually Headed On These Trains?
The Gold Runner links the Bay Area, Sacramento, and the Central Valley with up to seven daily trains between Oakland/Sacramento and Bakersfield.
But here's the interesting part: many passengers depend on Amtrak Thruway bus connections to reach San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and California's coastal cities. These are buses leased and branded by Amtrak.
Whether it's commuters heading to tech hubs, families visiting the Central Valley, or travelers connecting to Southern California, this route moves millions across the heart of the Golden State.
Would you be interested in a 2026 Travels with Kev calendar?
I'm still considering printing 2026 calendars featuring photos from my travels. Would you like to get one? I plan to price them around $20-$25, including shipping.
Just let me know if you're interested by replying to this email. No commitment needed; I'm just checking if there's enough interest to make it worthwhile.
What has Kev been up to?
This week has been enjoyable and relaxing. While I enjoy traveling, I also appreciate some downtime to recharge and relax.
My Last Trip Wrap-Up
A few weeks ago, I completed the last part of my cross-country tripon Amtrak's Cardinal. My first experience with this train was back in 2014 during a trip home from Washington, DC.
There are many things I love about the Cardinal! delivered toThe ride was incredibly smooth in my Viewliner II sleeper, and my attendant did a fantastic job taking care of passengers throughout the journey. I had all my meals, except for the last day, in my room.
Food on the Cardinal
I boarded in Philadelphia, which gave me the perfect opportunity to enjoy breakfast on the train. The Cardinal offers Amtrak's Flexible Dining, and I had some truly delicious meals.
For breakfast, I tried something new: crepes. I'm not usually a big fan of raisins, which kept me from choosing them before. But when combined with the apples, crepes, and delicious, custard-like sauce, they really complemented the dish well. I had it for breakfast both times I liked them that much.
For lunch, I had the butter chicken. I loved the butter masala sauce that was paired with the butter cake and an iced tea.
For dinner, I had beef paprikash; the beef was tender, and the Sweet Paprika Sauce was excellent. It was served again with the butter cake and the Stardust IPA. Both were very good. I still believe the biggest issue with Amtrak's flex dining is how the food is presented.
Yes, I love a good sauce.
It's worth noting that this train has never had a traditional dining car during my years of traveling on it.
Small But Needed Train
The Cardinal uses a compact train set that includes a few coach cars, a café car serving as the food service hub, one sleeper car, and a dormitory-baggage sleeper.
This train plays a vital role for Amtrak beyond just passenger service: it's used to transport cars and locomotives to and from the Beech Grove maintenance shops in Indiana, picking up equipment headed west and delivering it heading east.
Special Touches
A highlight of the trip was passing through New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, where a Trails & Rails narrator provided commentary on the scenery and landmarks we saw. That added an interesting educational touch to an already scenic part of the route.
The train arrived in Chicago right on time at 10 am, a perfect way to end the trip.
A view of Covington, WV, from the window of the Cardinal.
Looking at the Markers
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Kev and Travels with Kev are not affiliated with Amtrak or any other companies mentioned in this newsletter. This newsletter acts as a guide; you are responsible for your own choices.
