Downtown Coaster Platform
Gaslamp Quarter // A one stop extension of the Coaster service
North County Transit-San Diego Railroad (NCTD) is planning a half-mile one stop extension of its Coaster service to the Convention Center/Gaslamp Quarter areas of Downtown San Diego. This project would be a huge boon for North County commuters, locals, and visitors alike, especially during peak event periods like San Diego Padres games and large San Diego Convention Center events.
The new station, a single platform, is planned to be situated between 1st Avenue and 5th Avenue in a new siding track built next to the already existing BNSF-owned and operated right of way.
Per NCTD, the platform will be 850 feet long. The space between 1st and 5th Avenues is about 1,250 feet long, so it remains to be seen where in that space the platform will be situated. A rendering provided by NCTD shows the platforms being on the Convention Center side of the existing right of way.
In addition to the platform construction and track work required to deliver this project, switches and signals will also be upgraded along the route between Santa Fe Depot and the new platform, if not all the way to the BNSF yard southeast of Downtown. "Pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements" are also called out by NCTD for 1st and 5th Avenues.
While detailed drawings and service patterns have yet to be released to the public (it is unclear whether the station will be used for special events only or for all-day service), NCTD plans for construction to start in fall 2025 with a early 2027 opening date. Despite funding being fully allocated, shovels do not appear to be in the ground as of late October 2025. This article will be updated as new information becomes available.
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