Dear Riders,
We have news on many fronts! We are renewing our commitment to communicate more frequently with our passengers. Below are a few highlights of what’s been happening since my last message to you. Our ridership is steadily on the rise. In the recently completed fiscal year ridership is expected to exceed 900,000, up more than 30 percent from the previous year. Although this is positive news, ridership and revenue is running more than 40 percent below pre-pandemic levels which is having an impact on our fiscal health. We are focused on identifying ways to reduce costs while maintaining a high-quality service.
As our business continues to recover in this post pandemic world; we are encouraged by the number of new riders discovering the joys of traveling by rail and previous riders re-engaging with our service. We know some of you are starting to experience crowding on select trains. My team is working hard to monitor ridership and carefully allocate our limited equipment to make your trips as comfortable as possible. We do expect additional equipment in early 2024, so please hang in there! We appreciate your patience.
Major Grant Awarded
Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) recently received significant funding, a $42.51 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Award by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to complete Phase 1 of the Sacramento to Roseville Third Track project. When the capital improvements are completed in 2029, we will be able to run two additional roundtrips between Sacramento and Roseville. This funding represents the first federal investment in our service since 2009 and the first expansion of it since 2006. We’re excited to bring train riders of Placer County more frequencies and better connections. I would like to thank all our partners for their ongoing support of this project.
Special Event Trains
Special events are back! We can attribute some of our ridership increase to our special trains to and from Levi’s Stadium for summer concerts including Taylor Swift (July), Beyoncé (August), and Ed Sheeran (September). The number of riders who traveled to all these concerts was quite impressive. Swift fans (Swifties) created their own onboard experience while traveling to the concert, producing some of the busiest trains since the beginning of the pandemic – more than 2,000 trips. While Swift performed shows on a Friday and Saturday night, Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran were single-day events. For the Beyoncé concert, we carried 1,000 more passengers than on a normal weekday. By taking the train, concert goers avoided the hassle of driving in and around Levi’s Stadium and saved quite a few dollars on parking fees.
The San Francisco 49ers football season is underway and ridership to the first home games is off to a good start. We look forward to serving 49er fans and all football fans to Levi’s Stadium throughout the fall. Riders can enjoy free Wi-Fi, spacious restrooms, comfortable seats, and a Café Car, with specialty drinks.
Special Offers/Activities
- To alleviate crowds on Train 538, we encourage those traveling between Oakland and Sacramento to consider Train 540 which runs just a half hour later. You’ll find a lot more room and we’re sweetening the deal by offering 50 percent off café items on Train 540 for the month of October. If you must ride Train 538, please be sure to place your bags under your seat or in the overhead compartment, keeping the seat next to you free for someone else. And please make room at the tables for four, so everyone has a comfortable ride home.
- Please join us for the next “Corridor Conversations” webinar on Tuesday, October 17 at 12:00 p.m. This lunchtime forum gives us a way to hear from you. It features the CCJPA staff and guests from organizations along our route. Come with your questions and comments.
- On Wednesday, October 25, Capitol Corridor will host “Cappy Hour” with discounted beverages on all trains traveling between 3:00 p.m. and 7 p.m.
In closing, please stay tuned for an exciting new onboard amenity coming later this fall! We think you’ll like it! Thanks again for making the Capitol Corridor service your first transportation option.
See you on the train,
Rob Padgette,
Managing Director, Capitol Corridor