Capitol Corridor Train Car Retrofit Accommodates Cyclists

New Racks Increase On Board Bike Storage by 34%

Oakland, CA., September 10, 2009 — To accommodate the growing trend of bikes on board Capitol Corridor trains, Caltrans and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) retrofitted 14 train cab cars—increasing on-board bike storage by 34%. Nearly 9% of Capitol Corridor’s 1.7 million annual passengers use a bicycle to gain access to the Capitol Corridor intercity passenger rail service.

“Due to a dramatic increase in the use of bicycles on the Capitol Corridor trains, all 14 of the original 1995-era cab cars have been retrofitted to accommodate an additional four bicycles on the lower level,” CCJPA Chair Jim Holmes said. “These new bike racks are in addition to the three bicycle racks that already exist on the cab cars. When we combine the retrofit cabs with the five newer, 2002-era cab cars, which utilize wall-mounted storage racks to accommodate 13 bicycles, it provides about 130 more racks each weekday to help accommodate the hundreds of cyclists who bring their bikes on board.”

Based on recent surveys, not all bicyclists take their bikes on board, many ride to the train station and store their bikes there; however, the desire to save money, gas and be eco-friendly have inspired more and more cyclists to ride a bike to the train station and use a bike to get their final destination.Â

The CCJPA and Caltrans are seeking funding to reconfigure all of the original 1995-era cab cars to the same configuration as the 2002-era cab cars. “Upon completion of this work, at least one cab car on every Northern California train will be able to accommodate 13 bicycles, plus an additional three on all coach cars,” CCJPA Managing Director Eugene Skoropowski said. “The Capitol Corridor is taking every reasonable step to welcome and accommodate bicycles on all our trains, while still protecting safe access for other passengers including those who may be mobility impaired. This is a continuing challenge, as the Capitol Corridor route is the third busiest Amtrak-operated line in the country and the current number of bike users on our trains—more than 150,000 annually—continues to grow.”

About Capitol Corridor
The Capitol Corridor intercity passenger rail serves 16 stations along a 170-mile rail corridor, and offers a convenient way to travel between the Sierra Foothills, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley/San Jose. The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) partners with Amtrak, Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans and the communities comprising the CCJPA to offer cost-effective, viable and safe intercity passenger rail.  For information, visit www.capitolcorridor.org or call 1-877-9-RIDECC.