California Coast by rail

Q: Please could you assist me with the name and possibly the cost of the train that travels up the coast from San Diego to San Francisco. This is the train that stops at all the beaches, including Malibu Beach. - Jessica M Naude
A: There is no direct train service from San Diego to San Francisco. However, you are probably referring to the Pacific Surfliner, which travels between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo is roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, so you need to catch a connecting bus for the remainder of the journey. An alternative journey for an even more spectacular ride would be to switch from the Pacific Surfliner to the Coastal Starlight train in Los Angeles. The Starlight will take you from LA to Emeryville (Oakland), a free five-mile Amtrak Bus ride from San Francisco.
The Pacific Surfliner offers comfortable carriages with large panoramic windows and a spacious cafe car where you can enjoy refreshments. As seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, it may be advisable to buy a business class ticket, which gives you better facilities with extra legroom, a socket for your laptop and complementary snacks, beverages and newspapers. A one-way coach ticket will cost around US$45, while a business class seat is US$64.
The Coastal Starlight offers a choice of luxurious coaches and sleeping cars. There is a dining car, a kids playroom and it has big, comfortable seats with plenty of legroom. The route goes along the Pacific Ocean shoreline, but also pass the the snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range and Mount Shasta with lush forests and fertile valleys, a stunning backdrop for your journey. A coach ticket using the Pacific Surfliner-Coastal Starlight combination will cost around US$65. An upgrade to business class on the Pacific Surfliner will cost US$14, while the upgrade options on the luxurious Coastal Starlight ranges from an additional US$169 per room for a superliner roomette sleeping two adults to an additional US$454 per room for the height of luxury in a double bedroom.