Oakland, CA January 26, 2012 – Capitol Corridor, Northern California’s popular intercity passenger rail service, closed out 2011 with a triple win, thus holding on to a 22-month positive trend in ridership, revenue and on-time performance (OTP). Capitol Corridor Joint Power Authority (CCJPA) officials credit its strong first-quarter federal-fiscal-year results to the Capitol Corridor’s successful marketing campaigns, high gas prices and—most significant—the efforts of Union Pacific (UPRR), its host railroad, to sustain a state of good repair for the track, which has resulted in a high level of reliability for the service.
““The Capitol Corridor serves as a role model for intercity passenger rail success, demonstrating that it provides a safe travel alternative for the traveling public and is a safe investment for our tax dollars,” CCJPA Board Chair Bob Franklin said. “Similar to other public transport services, passenger rail creates permanent jobs and contributes to our environmental and economic health. In fact, every year the Capitol Corridor generates about $170 million in economic activity for the region.”
|
Month |
Ridership |
Compared to Month/2010 |
Revenue |
Compared to Month/2010 |
OTP |
| Oct 2011 |
153,902 |
+9% |
$2,436,598 |
+14% |
94% |
| Nov 2011 |
150,511 |
+5% |
$2,668,509 |
+11 |
94% |
| Dec 2011 |
137,377 |
+7% |
$2,333,471 |
+5 |
95% |
2012 Initiatives
In 2012, the CCJPA is looking forward to implementing other projects aimed to boost ridership even more. Plans for 2012 include:
- Partnering with Amtrak on an e-Ticketing program to provide print-at-home tickets so that passengers no longer need to wait in lines at stations;
- Joining Caltrain in opening the new Santa Clara/University Station and unveiling the renovations at San Jose/Diridon Station;
- Cutting the ribbon with the City of Sacramento in its ceremony to unveil the new platforms at Sacramento Valley Station in May;
- Enhancing its free Wi-Fi service, which was launched on November 28, 2011; and
- Completing the Yolo Crossover project in the fall. The crossover will maintain high service reliability by reducing train traffic-related delays between the two busiest stations in the corridor (Sacramento and Davis).