Capitol Corridor
30 Years of Connecting Northern California
25 Years Ago
December 1991
On December 12, 1991, the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak®) initiated the Capitol Corridor intercity train service with 6 daily trains between San Jose and Sacramento.
July 1998
Legislation enacted to establish the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), a partnership among six local transit agencies to share in the administration and management of the Capitol Corridor intercity train service. The CCJPA is overseen by a Board of Directors comprising members from each of the six transit agencies along the Capitol Corridor route.
October 1998
CCJPA begins managing the operations of the Capitol Corridor service with 8 trains between Sacramento and San Jose.
May 2001
Service level increases to 18 trains per day between Sacramento and Oakland.
June 2001
Capitol Corridor welcomes its One Millionth Passenger, Angela Smart, on board Train #523 to San Jose.
September 2001
New Martinez Station opens.
September 2002
Capitol Corridor carries 1,080,000 annual passengers. Construction kickoff for track/station improvements between Oakland and San Jose.
June 2003
Electronic Passenger Information Display Signs (PIDS) electronic signage installed at all Capitol Corridor stations.
March 2004
CCJPA initiates its first wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) trial.
October 2004
Yolo Causeway construction project underway, enabling a 10-minute reduction in travel time.
February 2005
Capitol Corridor holds its first award-winning Stitch ‘n Ride™ promotion to encourage knitters to take the train to the annual Stitches West convention in Santa Clara.
May 2005
Oakland Coliseum Intermodal Station opens.
August 2006
CCJPA announces its largest service expansion ever with an increase to 32 weekday trains between Sacramento to Oakland and 14 trains from Oakland to San Jose.
May 2008
Capitol Corridor participates in the first National Train Day and honors Doras Briggs with the State Advocate of Rail (STAR) Award.
June 2008
Capitol Corridor participates in its first Spare the Air campaign to promote transit usage on anticipated high-pollution days.
Passenger revenue now funds 50% of the cost to operate the service (system operating ratio), exceeding Capitol Corridor’s budget goals.
July 2008
Bahia Crossover groundbreaking event in Benicia; this event kicks off the next phase of service and infrastructure improvements.
2009
Achieved On Time Performance of 93 percent – an all-time high.
November 2011
Launched Amtrak Connect Wi-Fi service on all trains.
April 2012
eTicketing formally launched. Capitol Corridor test and pilot programs contributed to eTicketing system development.
February 2013
A comprehensive Bicycle Access Plan adopted by the CCJPA board.
October 2014
Rider appreciation events are relaunched as “Cappy Hour” with discounted drinks across evening trains.
November 2014
Reached 1st place in Amtrak system for On Time Performance, with a 95% OTP rating — the fifth consecutive year that Capitol Corridor was the most reliable service in the system.
Vision Plan Update vol. 1 adopted.
2015
Revenue reaches $30 million annually.
Interactive Real-Time train status launched to riders.
February 2016
Capitol Corridor carries over 1,000 excited football fans to Super Bowl 50 at the newly-opened Levi’s® Stadium in Santa Clara.
August 2016
Launched Weekend Optimization schedule, biggest schedule change since 2006. New schedule aligns trains with many events at newly-opened Golden 1 Center, and offers additional peak hour service to business travelers in Oakland and San Jose.
September 2016
Vision Plan Update Volume 2 adopted.
October 2016
Golden 1 Center opening
Golden 1 Center, the new home of the Sacramento Kings, opens and is walking distance from the Sacramento Valley station.
December 2016
Capitol Corridor celebrates its Silver Anniversary.
April 2017
Charger Locomotives
Capitol Corridor receives its first order of Siemens Tier IV Charger locomotives.
November 2017
Fairfield-Vacaville station opened
Fairfield-Vacaville Hannigan station opens.
December 2017
Bike eLockers
Bicycle eLockers available at all stations
May 2019
California Passenger Rail Summit 2019
Hosted 7th Annual California Passenger Rail Summit in Oakland
April 2019
Fairfield-Vacaville Hannigan Station renamed for Thomas M. Hannigan
In May 2019, the stop was ceremonially named Fairfield–Vacaville Hannigan Station after former Fairfield Assemblymember Thomas M. Hannigan, who contributed to the development of the Capitol Corridor service.
August 2019
Stride On Board
Stride On Board is branded to encapsulate the college (student) marketing program offering a variety of fares and discounts for students.
March 2020
Evergreen Signage
Schedule signs and brochures for trains and buses were upgraded to an evergreen format with QR enabled codes to get schedule information. This effort supported efforts to become more sustainable.
March 2020
COVID Service Reduction
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory shelter-in-place requirements, Capitol Corridor makes drastic service reduction to operate as an essential service.
July 2020
Our Stand Against Racism
In response to the killing of George Floyd and many others impacted by racial injustice, Capitol Corridor released “Our Stand Against Racism,” its statement to denounce racism.
July 2020
Railgoods.com
Railgoods.com was launched as a joint, online company store with BART to featured branded products from each service.
September 2020
Corridor Conversations
Corridor Conversations, a webinar series, was developed to reach and engage with passengers and followers to stay connected to the Capitol Corridor during the pandemic with record level ridership.
October 2020
Next Generation Wi-Fi
Next Generation Wi-Fi is launched with a faster and more reliable connection. Passengers now connect to complimentary “Your Train” Wi-Fi
January 2021
Link 21 Program Launch
The Link21 Program is a partnership between CCJPA and BART that includes plans for a new transbay rail crossing between San Francisco and Oakland. The new crossing opens the possibility of providing faster and more reliable passenger rail service to major destinations in the 21-county Northern California Megaregion. The program will include improvements to the regional rail (commuter, intercity) and BART systems.
February 2021
CC Rewards
CC Rewards launches as Capitol Corridor’s first loyalty program. Members gain access to discounts from local businesses and exclusive rider promos.
April 2021
Charger Locomotives
Capitol Corridor recieves an additional order of Siemens Tier IV Charger locomotives.
July 2021
El Dorado Transit
El Dorado Transit is onboarded to provide service for the Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe bus connection.