Planning on attending this weekend’s Bay Area match-up featuring the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants? Don’t miss any of the action by taking the train to the game. Regularly scheduled trains will get you there with time to spare. For the return trains, we will be delaying departures on each day from Oakland Coliseum. On 8/6 train 744 will be departing at 7:30pm and on 8/7 train 736 will be departing at 4:30pm. Bring a friend or loved one along for the ride at no additional charge with the BOGO Every Day offer.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ers vs GREEN BAY PACKERS PRESEASON GAME ON 8/12
NINERS! The San Francisco 49ers are back and ready for another exciting season. And the lineup for the Friday, August 12 preseason game is not to be missed at the 49ers face off against the Green Bay Packers. Fans can plan to take regularly scheduled trains to the game. For the return, train 546 will be rescheduled to depart San Jose at 8:33pm, hold at Santa Clara-Great America till 9:05pm, and arrive in Sacramento at 11:56pm. Bring along a fellow fan for free with the purchase of the BOGO Every Day discount.
UPCOMING TRACK WORK MAINTENANCE
Due to important track maintenance being performed by Union Pacific, delays of no more than 15 minutes may be experienced between Berkeley and Martinez beginning Thursday, August 4 through Thursday, August 11.
Effective August 15, 2022, Capitol Corridor trains will offer a temporary reduced schedule of nine daily round trips. This temporary service reduction is necessary due to workforce shortages that make it challenging for us to offer our full schedule at this time.
The trains that will be affected by this change are 540, 543, 548 and 549, which will be suspended during this time. This change will be in effect through October 2, 2022. These schedule changes are available on our website at capitolcorridor.org/schedules
We look forward to reinstating the suspended trains in early October once additional staff is available to support the schedule. Thank you for your continued patronage.
Many of you have experienced recent extended delays and may have been impacted by train cancellations for which I would like to express my sincere apologies. In particular, we recognize that July 15, 2022, proved to be an extremely challenging day as there were multiple events which took place involving a fatality in one segment of our route, an equipment strike in another, as well as a trackside fire. This series of tragic events caused major delays between Oakland and San Jose, leaving some passengers in a situation where they needed to find other means of transportation. Operations staff did explore alternative transportation options along that segment through a bus bridge; however, driver shortages from local transit agencies prevented that from being an option that we could utilize. AC Transit, BART, County Connection and VTA were able to provide passengers with mutual aid.
In this post-pandemic time, resource constraints continue to prevail, and we will continue to do our best to navigate around them. We appreciate the patience and flexibility many of you have shown during these unexpected incidents.
In 2021, we published our first Rider Profile, which described how the coronavirus has impacted our riders’ travel, their health and safety concerns, and why—despite a world-wide pandemic—they chose to ride the train.
Throughout the pandemic Capitol Corridor has continued to be a transportation asset to Northern California. Like other public transit options, ridership dramatically dipped since COVID-19 and its variants spread; however, through it all we still have loyal as well as new riders who make Capitol Corridor their preferred travel option.
Pushpraj G. has been a faithful rider for 28 years and says, “It has been the best 28 years of my life.” Find out why in this edition of Capitol Corridor’s Rider Profile.
MEET OUR RIDER: PUSHPRAJ “PUPLA” G.
Pupla G.
Pushpraj, fondly known as Pupla, began riding Capitol Corridor in 1994. At first, he rode Capitol Corridor five days a week roundtrip from Sacramento to San Francisco; after the year 2000 his route was Sacramento to Fremont and back. Now he rides two days a week between Sacramento and Oakland Jack London Square.
On his very first train ride the conductor greeted him with a predictive welcome, “Listen, Pupla, you’ll not go back to driving again.” He turned out to be right.
“Those were very prophetic words,” Pupla said. “I would never drive to San Francisco on a regular basis.”
WHY HE RIDES
Pupla used to drive every day to San Francisco, but it was a grueling five-hour commute that prompted a different way to travel. That trip was so stressful, he seriously considered handing over his resignation that day. “I can’t do this anymore,” Pupla told his brother, with whom he worked. It was his brother who suggested Pupla check out Capitol Corridor instead of driving. The very next day he did, and what began as a new way to commute turned into an opportunity to be a part of a remarkable camaraderie, where he, and others Capitol Corridor dubbed the ‘CC Riders’, created memorable experiences and built enduring friendships.
Why does he describe his years on Capitol Corridor as his best? “I got to make a lot of friends on the train—and they became lifelong friends,” Pupla said. “Long-time riders used to say they only went to work for the train ride to enjoy the on-board camaraderie. They were able to socialize hour for two hours each workday. How many people can afford to do that in their regular lives?”
Pupla coined his own phrase for the phenomenon of interacting with people on trains, fellow passengers or train staff whom one would normally not have the opportunity to meet. He calls it ‘Amtrakism’.
YEARS OF REMARKABLE MEMORIES
Like all of us who have had a joyful and lengthy connection, Pupla remembers his years onboard with pleasant memories: from Capitol Corridor train events (he won three Cappys In one year!) to gatherings with CC Riders onboard or fun with its alumni at venues along the route. As he reminisced of the many activities his with his train friends, he shared many ‘small world’ incidents—experiences he only had because he was a passenger on our trains!
For example, the CC Riders, who typically rode in the first car, often played bridge while commuting. Conductors would reserve two tables for their bridge game and if they were ever short players the conductor would make an announcement on the train intercom inviting other bridge players aboard to fill in. On one such ride, an elderly woman who accepted the invitation turned out to be the former school librarian at Goswami’s high school in India.
Another time, Estelle S., who Pupla affectionately called the “Queen of the Train”, once introduced him to a passenger who was also from India. After several minutes of conversation, he learned his cousin, an obstetrician, was the doctor who delivered the young lady 18 years before.
Pupla also recognizes the love of trains is expansive. Coincidentally, when meeting his son’s future father-in-law in Arkansas, Pupla learned he was a fellow train fan who once flew to San Francisco just to ride the Capitol Corridor!
The pandemic, retirement, as well as the work-from-home scenario has broken up the group. Only one other passenger of his original cluster of train friends remains. She brings food, lays out a linen tablecloth and they celebrate the old days each Friday on their ride home to Sacramento.
Yet, despite the pandemic Pupla will not go back to driving to the Bay Area. “I still wear a mask in the mornings, I’m vaccinated and boosted, so I’m not worried about catching the virus,” he said.
Lately, he’s noticed more and more passengers riding the train and he’s sure the skyrocketing gas prices have much to do with more riders on his route. “Last week I filled up my tank and it cost $108! I suggest people get on the train–help support the train! Support Amtrakism!”
Sacramento, Calif. (July 8) – A regional partnership led by Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) and its project partners, the City of Sacramento, Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT), Downtown Railyard Ventures and Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) were awarded $49,865,000 in funding from the California State Transportation Agency’s “Transit and Intercity Rail Capitol Program.”
Most of the funding will go toward projects in the city of Sacramento. This funding will build improvements at the Sacramento Valley Station (SVS), construct a new regional bus lay-over and vehicle charging facility, new enhanced regional transit stops, and state of the art transit fare payment technology.
“The State of California is the national leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and this funding will better equip the Capital City to lead the way by providing easier access to transit and safe bike routes in our downtown transit hub,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “Big thank you to all of our regional partners who came together to prioritize these important improvements.”
“We are excited that the State shares our vision of the Sacramento Valley Station, underscoring the importance of passenger rail as part of mobility in the Sacramento region,” said Don Saylor CCJPA Board Chair and SACOG Board member. “Their investment will not only establish the station as a transportation hub for the northern California mega-region but will increase the safety and reliability of our rail and transit systems, ultimately improving the overall passenger experience.”
Photo Courtesy of Steelblue for City of Sacramento/Perkins&Will
This crucial funding will advance SVS’s transformation into Northern California’s premier rail and transit hub by increasing transit ridership, encouraging transit-oriented development, reducing dependence on the automobile, increasing alternatives to single occupancy vehicle trips for low income and special needs populations and decreasing emissions.
In addition, it will set up the next phase of work that will allow more transit services to serve SVS than any other station in Northern California. SVS will not only be the busiest train station in Northern California but will become a model for statewide efforts that integrate transit and promote efficient land use.
“We are excited for this new regional funding that will improve transit connectivity between regional rail, light rail and bus in the downtown core and work toward a seamless convenient payment option for riders,” said SacRT General Manager and CEO Henry Li. “SacRT looks forward to our continued work with CalSTA, the City of Sacramento, CCJPA and SACOG to help improve mobility and expand intermodal options in our region.”
These interrelated projects will integrate local, regional, and intercity transit/rail service to create new mobility options, improve the transit experience, increase transit ridership, support bus electrification, and advance the region’s climate goals.
Photo Courtesy of Steelblue for City of Sacramento/Perkins&Will
Ridership at Sacramento Valley Station is also expected to be positively impacted by the City’s housing policies, confirmed with a “Pro-Housing” designation by California’s Department of Housing and Community Development, the first city to receive such a designation in the state. A significant amount of housing is expected to be added in the Railyards District, adjacent to the station area.
