FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Karen Bakar
510-874-7494 office
510-368-6871 mobile
Priscilla Kalugdan
510-464-6992 office
510-368-4590 mobile
OAKLAND, CA, September 30, 2014 – 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 customers’ 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.
Over the past year, Capitol Corridor has also enjoyed a steady increase in ridership, especially on off-peak weekend and mid-week trains, and the service has maintained an impressive On Time Performance (OTP) of 96%, the highest in the Amtrak system.
About Capitol Corridor®
The Capitol Corridor serves 17 stations along the 170-mile rail corridor connecting Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties, paralleling both the I-80/I-680 and I-880 corridors in segments from Sacramento to San Jose. The CCJPA partners with Amtrak, Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans and the communities comprising the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) to offer cost-effective intercity passenger rail and offers a convenient way to travel between the Sierra Foothills, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley/San Jose. For details about the Capitol Corridor, visit www.capitolcorridor.org or call 1-877-974-3322. Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CapitolCorridor and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CapitolCorridor.
About Corey, Canapary & Galanis
Corey, Canapary & Galanis (CC&G) has been at the forefront of market research since its founding in 1933. It continues to offer innovative solutions, particularly in transportation, health care, energy/environment, and the public sector. To learn more, please visit www.ccgresearch.com.
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