BayRail general meeting

Did You Know?

You may drink alcoholic beverages on Caltrain, on ACE (in lidded containers) and on the Capitols -- except not after 9 PM on Caltrain following a special event (like a Giants' game). Caltrain  tightened its alcohol policy after drunk and rowdy ballgame fans got into a fight on the train. Don't drink anything (alcoholic or not) on BART -- you could get arrested, as some people have, because no eating or drinking is allowed on BART.

Line 55 Monterey - San Jose Express

An express bus service makes 3 round trips daily from Monterey and Salinas to San Jose, with stops at the Gilroy and Morgan Hill Caltrain stations. Caltrain passengers with a three-zone or greater monthly pass ride free. MST customers with day passes or monthly all-zone passes are allowed free transfers to VTA local buses and light rail lines. For more information on Line 55, see the Monterey-Salinas Transit website or call toll free 1-888-MST-BUS1

Capitol Corridor



Photo by Marcel Marchon, Railroadpictures.net

The Capitol Corridor is a state-funded Amtrak "intercity passenger train system" and provides a convenient alternative to the congested I-80, I-680 and I-880 freeways. The popular service has been attracting new long-distance commuters and travelers at a rapid rate.

These are really nice trains (at least by U.S. standards) designed to make 50 miles+ trips very comfortable. Amenities offered on the train include: food and beverage service, bathrooms, infant diaper changing tables, 110-volt AC power and tables for laptops and other electronic devices, and bicycle storage. They also offer Wi-Fi/WiMax internet on a trial basis with plans to select a technology for a permanent offering.

Route Map



courtesy of Capitol Corridor

» Click here for official Capitol Corridor website

By the numbers


Route length: 170 miles
Daily ridership: ~ 3,500 passengers/day (2005)
Average passenger trip length: 68 miles

16 rail stations and 2 bus stations in 8 counties: Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco and Santa Clara.

32 weekday trains between Sacramento and Oakland, and 14 weekday & weekend trains to/from San Jose.


To augment the train service, Amtrak runs connecting bus service to communities
- south of San Jose (such as San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara)
- east of Sacramento (to destinations such as Chico/Redding, Truckee/Reno and South Lake Tahoe/Carson City)
- northwest from Martinez such as Vallejo, Napa, Santa Rosa, and Eureka.

Amtrak bus tickets can't be purchased without purchasing a connecting rail ticket, because of a state law (SB 804) that is intended to prevent publicly subsidized feeder bus services from competing for work with non-subsidized private bus operators such as Greyhound.

Governing Body

Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Agency (CCJPA)

Funding


Current year operating budget: ~$38 million (FY 2006-07)
Current year capital budget: ~$370 million (2-year budget, FY 2006-2008)

Funds for operating and marketing the train are provided yearly from the State of California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BT&H). Capital improvements primarily funded by the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) on a biennial basis.

How to support funding for this service


Write to the Governor of California, to the state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency and to your state and federal representatives. Contact Elected Officials
And of course, ride it whenever you can, and tell your friends about it.

Challenges for this service


For most of its route, the Capitol Corridor uses tracks owned by the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) company, which operates freight trains. Conflicting priorities between UPRR and Capitol Corridor sometimes causes problems with on-time performance and reliability. After the CCJPA restructured its operating agreement with UPRR and Amtrak by linking incentive payments with on-time performance, on-time performance has improved but it is still a concern. The CCJPA has also worked to double-track some sections, which has improved reliability and increased train speed. Additional improvements are sought but have been hampered by lack of funding.

The perennial attempts of the Bush administration to starve, de-fund and shut down Amtrak have also posed a threat to the Capitol Corridor service, since it's Amtrak employees who operate the trains under the current agreement.

Links

Message to Riders from the Capitol Corridor Managing Director


Sources:
Capitol Corridor Business Plan Update, FY 2006-07 – FY 2007-08
Capitol Corridor 2003 Performance Report, 2005 Performance Report
NARP Report, "The Economics of Passenger Train Food & Beverage Service"


BayRail Alliance and Amtrak Capitol Corridor

1990 — PR2000 (later known as BayRail Alliance) campaigns with TRAC and PCL to pass Proposition 116, a $1.9 billion bond measure for rail projects, including soon-to-begin Capitol Corridor trains, Caltrain right-of-way purchase. PR2000 wins MTC Award of Merit for its role in the campaign.

Amtrak Capitol Corridor Milestones

May 1, 1971: Amtrak takes over operation of the nation's intercity passenger trains. The northern terminal of the Coast Daylight to Los Angeles is changed to Oakland from San Francisco so as to go through to Seattle. Southern Pacific's Del Monte, which ran from San Francisco to Monterey, is discontinued altogether. As a result, commuter trains become the only rail passenger service between San Francisco and San Jose.

December 12, 1991: State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak®) initiate the Capitol Corridor intercity train service with 6 daily trains between San Jose and Sacramento.

1996: State legislation establishes the CCJPA, a partnership among six local transportation agencies, to share in the administration and management of the Capitol Corridor

July 1998: an Interagency Transfer Agreement (ITA) transfers the operation of the Capitol Corridor service to the CCJPA for a three-year term. This agreement is later renewed for another three years.

October 1998: CCJPA assumes management responsibilities for the Capitol Corridor Service. Service expands to 8 daily trains.

April 2001: Service expands to 18 daily trains

October 2002: Service expands to 20 weekday trains (18 weekend)

January 2003: Service expands to 22 weekday trains (18 weekend)

April 2003: Service expands to 24 weekday trains (8 weekday trains to San Jose); 18 weekend (12 trains to San Jose on weekends and holidays). These previous 3 expansions were accomplished with one additional trainset and with no increase in budget by reallocating funds from discontinued motorcoach routes.

September 2003: State enacts legislation to make the CCJPA a permanent entity by amending the Interagency Transfer Agreement with the State of California.

August 28, 2006: Service expands to 32 weekday trains between Sacramento and Oakland, and 14 weekday & weekend trains to/from San Jose.