NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2013
Contact: Priscilla Kalugdan
Marketing & Communications Officer
510-464-6992
Capitol Corridor’s Yolo Causeway West Crossover Project now complete
Reduced running times, better reliability and increased capacity
OAKLAND, CALIF., April 22, 2013— The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) is pleased to announce that the last of several projects funded by President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds on the Capitol Corridor route has been completed. Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) crews completed the Yolo Causeway West Crossover project on April 14, 2013, which allows trains to better utilize the existing double track in both directions on the Yolo Causeway between the Sacramento and Davis stations. Since this is one of the busier freight corridors in UPRR’s network, this benefits passenger trains by enabling Capitol Corridor trains to pass freight trains–giving an additional boost to Capitol Corridor’s reliability, which already has one of the best On-Time Performance ratings in the Amtrak system.
The $5 million project received financing from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) from an obligation of the ARRA High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) funds to improve passenger rail reliability along the Yolo Causeway. Prior to this crossover, trains had to travel 13.4 miles between Davis and Sacramento, the two busiest stations on the Capitol Corridor route, without the ability to switch tracks or pass freight trains between these stations. Installation of the Yolo Causeway crossover cuts that distance in half and allows for trains to move and pass regardless of the train traffic direction, thereby optimizing the flow of train traffic. This means Capitol Corridor passenger trains will improve upon their already impressive on-time performance. For several years, the Capitol Corridor has occupied the top spot in the nation as the most reliable intercity passenger rail line compared to services with similar multiple, daily frequencies. For the current operating year, the Capitol Corridor’s on-time performance is 95%.
“This crossover, in addition to the other planned track improvements along the corridor, will enable us to improve reliability, and increase the movement of passenger and freight trains along this busy section of the Capitol Corridor route. After the improvements, the Capitol Corridor trains operating along this corridor will become more competitive as an alternative to driving on the congested highway corridors due to improved service performance and reduced delays” said CCJPA Chair Jim Spering. “We’re delighted to announce that all of the ARRA funds obligated to projects along the Capitol Corridor have now been put to use and the projects are complete.”
The Yolo Causeway West Crossover Project was one of three ‘shovel-ready’ projects for which Capitol Corridor received federal funds in December 2011. Project construction started in August 2012. Completion of the Yolo Causeway marks the milestone that all of the economic stimulus-funded projects that Capitol Corridor initiated or collaborated on with other agencies are now finished and the resulting work is benefiting passengers.
“This relatively modest investment has immediate direct benefits for the traveling public and also for goods movement. The project exemplifies once again the win-win partnership between the CCJPA and the Union Pacific Railroad, our host railroad, whereby the CCJPA will enhance the attractiveness of the Capitol Corridor as a viable public transport service and the UPRR will remain competitive to trucks for goods movement in Northern California,” said CCJPA Managing Director David Kutrosky. “We’re proud to highlight that this project was complete in less than 18 months from when the funds were first obligated to the CCJPA, which means that the Capitol Corridor passengers and Union Pacific Railroad are experiencing the immediate benefits of the Yolo Causeway West Crossover Project.”
About the ARRA Award
The economic recovery legislation, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, was signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009 and of the $787 billion program a total of $8 billion was directed to the ARRA High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) for investments in high speed and conventional intercity rail projects. The HSIPR Program funds are administered and obligated by the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
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. An extensive, dedicated motorcoach network provides bus connections to the train. Together, these systems serve the second-largest urban service area in the Western United States.
The CCJPA partners with Amtrak, Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans and the communities comprising the 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 more information visit capitolcorridor.org.
–###–
