The Coast Starlight is one of the premier passenger trains operated by Amtrak, and is widely considered one of the finest train rides in North America. Its route links the modernism and rustic charm of the Pacific Northwest with the glamour and glitz of Los Angeles, while passing outstanding scenery such as Puget Sound, the Oregon Cascades, Mt. Shasta, and California's Central Coast.

The train is completely equipped with Amtrak's modern bi-level Superliner cars. In addition, the Starlight has some distinctive touches that are found on no other long-distance Amtrak train. These include the Pacific Parlour car, a bi-level lounge car provided for the train's first-class passengers. The car provides comfortable chairs, a reading library, wine tastings and a buffet, and even a lower-level movie theatre.

Also distinctive to the train is its "Kiddie Coach", a dedicated children's playroom located on the lower level of one of the train's coaches. The area has toys and games for children, and also provides videos and other child-related activities. The train also has the normal range of equipment found on long-distance Amtrak services: first-class sleeping cars with economy, deluxe, family and accessible bedrooms; a full-service dining car; a sightseer lounge with large observation windows; and standard coaches that include accessible lower-level seating.

The Coast Starlight leaves Seattle or Los Angeles each morning, taking about 36 hours to reach the opposite end of its run. En route, the train serves cities such as Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento, Calif.; Klamath Falls, Eugene, Albany, Salem and Portland, Ore.; and Vancouver and Tacoma, Wash.

Amtrak annulled all or part of the train for nearly three months after a major landslide in the Cascades near Oakridge, Ore. in late January severed its route. It eventually restored daily train service between Los Angeles and Sacramento and added a connecting overnight motorcoach between Sacramento and Portland. Amtrak returned full service as far north as Klamath Falls, Ore. in mid-April, with connecting motorcoaches between there and Eugene. These connected with a coach-and-lounge-equipped train (#1011/1014) between there and Seattle. Amtrak restored through service May 6 northbound and May 7 southbound.