Satisfaction with the Capitol Corridor train service has reached its highest rating in five years according to the agency’s latest onboard customer survey, with an impressive 90% of passengers being “Very Satisfied” or “Satisfied” with their overall on-board experience.
The bi-annual survey was conducted between June 11 and June 16, 2014 by the independent firm of Corey, Canapary & Galanis Research, and asked passengers their opinions on a variety of service and station features – from cleanliness of the train and helpfulness of personnel, to sense of security and availability of schedule information.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with these results,” said Capitol Corridor’s Board Chair, James Spering. “The staff at Capitol Corridor, together with our partners at Amtrak and Union Pacific Railroad, work very hard to ensure that our customer’s overall experience, at the station and on board the train, is convenient, safe, and enjoyable. The results confirm that this commitment is paying off.”
The survey, which is handed to passengers on board the train, asks customers to rate specific aspects of their experience at both the train stations and on board the train. In the on board category, satisfaction was 90%, up three percentage points from January 2013 and only a few percentage points below the category’s all-time high of 93% in December 2009. The overall satisfaction for the station category was 85%, which matches the category’s all-time highest rating achieved previously in June 2009 and June 2010.
The survey results also provide insight about who rides the Capitol Corridor. Most passengers (20%) live in Sacramento, with Alameda residents coming in a close second at 18%. Not surprisingly, Sacramento is the most popular station of origin, with 24% of riders starting their train travel in the State’s capitol. Other popular stations are Davis, Emeryville, and San Jose. Two thirds of weekday trips are taken for commuting/work-related business travel, and weekend riders are most likely to be travelling to visit family and friends or making a trip to a leisure/entertainment destination.
Capitol Corridor would like to thank all of its passengers who participated in this survey. The next onboard survey will be conducted in December 2014 or January 2015.