Amtrak Renames Popular Route, Sparking Backlash From Passengers



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Popular Amtrak Route To Be Renamed Soon

It’s not unusual for Amtrak to expand routes, cancel some, or rebrand others. This is what’s happening to the San Joaquin routes, which are about to undergo a full rebranding and remarketing process. This will also include a name change. Soon, passengers will no longer board the San Joaquin train but the Gold Runner.

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While Amtrak still hasn't published any official announcement, the San Joaquin Joint Power Authority (SJJPA) released a press release sharing details about this project. The changes were approved on March 19 but were only shared with the public about a month later, on April 17. Despite this, the news has largely gone unnoticed.

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Why Are Travelers Complaining About San Joaquin’s New Name?

Following the news, plenty of people online have voiced their discontent. For instance, in a post shared on Reddit, user endmill5050 states they prefer the original name since ‘It is the holdover from the previous SP trains that ran in the area.’

Others subtly criticized the project's high costs. In this regard, user cinciNattyLight wrote, ‘And it only cost $50M for the name change.’ While some pointed out the actual sum is $2.5 million, it remains up to the public to decide whether this is too much or a reasonable amount to invest in a rebranding initiative.

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