Press Releases - Capitol Corridor -

Capitol Corridor Awarded $42 million from California State Transportation Agency

April 25, 2023

Funds will support projects to create and improve access to intercity rail, connecting transit, and local communities

OAKLAND, CALIF., April 25, 2023— California STA yesterday announced the state awarded $42 million dollars to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) and its partners to help enhance access and connections to the system. The $42 million comes from the state’s Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) – the CCJPA’s funded projects amount to two of 28 projects that received funds.

This TIRCP funding award allows CCJPA and its partners to unlock megaregional travel potential. These projects are all part of the Capitol Corridor Emerging Market Access Program (EMAP)—projects that invest in the growing communities along the route, to improve access to and modernize the service. “Passenger rail cannot be stagnant—we need to continually improve and update service throughout the region to support climate change goals and to promote better transportation choices,” said CCJPA Chair Robert Raburn.

California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin made the announcement on behalf of Governor Gavin Newsom at a news conference in Santa Cruz on Monday.

CA Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin and CCJPA Deputy Director Leo Sanchez on board a Capitol Corridor train. Photo credit: Annmarie Wong, CCJPA

“As the Capitol Corridor services continue to rebound and evolve to meet the traveling public’s needs, it’s our goal to keep the Capitol Corridor accessible, modern, and connected to Northern California communities,” added CCJPA Managing Director Rob Padgette.

CCJPA and its partners’ funded projects include fully funding the Sacramento Valley Station (SVS) Transit Center multimodal access improvements, expansion of contactless EMV readers to support payments on connecting buses, design of multimodal transit facility Hercules Hub, and Sacramento-Roseville Third Track, netting an award of $30.9 million. Together, these projects aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 161,000 metric tons of CO2 (MTCO2e).

Included in the TIRCP award is $11.3 million in funding for the Link21 Megaregional Rail Program–a plan to transform Northern California’s rail network into a faster, more connected system. The funding will be used for the Design and Environment Advancement Phases 1 and 2 of the Link21 program.

TIRCP funds are used to integrate transit services and ensure they reduce climate impacts. They are instrumental as discretionary grants to leverage state funds to obtain federal infrastructure funding.

About CCJPA and the Capitol Corridor®
Managed by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), the Capitol Corridor is an intercity rail service connecting the most economically vibrant urban centers in Northern California – from Sacramento to Silicon Valley, and including San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. With free Wi-i Fi on board, Capitol Corridor trains provide a convenient, reliable, and comfortable alternative to the congested I-80, I-680, and I-880 freeways for more than 700,000 passengers a year. For more information, visit www.capitolcorridor.org

Capitol Corridor scores big win in the race to combat climate change

April 22, 2023

A more sustainable fuel made from renewable raw materials will soon run rail fleets in California

Oakland, CA, April 22, 2023 – Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins intercity passenger rail services will achieve their goal to run their entire fleets on renewable diesel by end of May 2023. The transition will begin on May 8^,at the Oakland Maintenance Facility when the renewable diesel tank is slated for delivery.

“The successful testing of renewable diesel to run locomotives was spearheaded by Capitol Corridor and as a result, intercity passenger rail services throughout California will soon run on cleaner fuel,” Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) Chair Robert Raburn said. CCJPA is the entity that manages Northern California’s intercity passenger rail service. “The project was a collaborative effort of statewide partners committed to advance California’s goal of zero emissions,” Raburn added.

What is Renewable Diesel (RD)?

RD is chemically similar to fossil diesel but made from renewable raw materials such as used cooking oil, not crude oil. Because RD is produced by utilizing the already existing carbon stored in the renewable raw materials in nature, when the fuel is combusted, the carbon dioxide it emits is not considered as adding new carbon to the atmosphere. The use of fossil diesel, on the contrary, releases new carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change. Other emissions, such as fine particulates and nitrogen oxides may also be reduced through the use of renewable diesel, which improves local air quality.

State and federal partners collaborate to find new fuel source for California passenger rail

“CCJPA initiated the exploration of alternative fuel options in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board (CARB),” Robert Padgette, CCJPA Managing Director said. “The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) stepped up to fund the testing and worked with the passenger rail equipment manufacturers to ensure the efficacy of the new fuel source. CalSTA also worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to obtain official certification” Robert Padgette, CCJPA Managing Director added.

Transitioning from polluting fuels to a more sustainable option is aimed to reduce a fleet’s environmental impact, but it is an effort that takes technical expertise, funding as well as regional and federal oversight. To protect public health, the EPA has stringent standards to reduce fine particles and other harmful emissions from locomotive engines as well as the fuel trains use.

California Intercity Passenger Rail services team up for cleaner air

Soon passenger rail travelers throughout California will know their trips are helping to combat climate change and air pollution as other rail services will soon fuel their entire fleets with RD.

“Switching to renewable diesel has been a strategic initiative for the San Joaquins,” Brian Schmidt, Director of Equipment Services at the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) said. “SJJPA would like to thank CCJPA for its leadership in converting our shared fleet to renewable diesel. Our collective commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions has taken a large step forward.”

”As we implement on our Climate Commitment, we welcome new ways to support Amtrak trains in California – including the 170-mile long Capitol Corridor route,” said Jeanne Cantu. Amtrak Vice President, California. “We are thrilled that the pilot’s success allows us to operate on renewable diesel resulting in fewer lifecycle emissions throughout California.”

Testing partnership showcases the potential for rail industry to swap to renewable diesel

CCJPA, worked with Amtrak, fuel distributor RD contractor Western States Oil, and RD producer Neste, world’s leading producer of RD, to successfully complete testing of Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ in August 2022. RD certification followed in November 2022. Neste MY Renewable Diesel is fully compatible with all diesel engines and current diesel fuel distribution infrastructure, so Capitol Corridor did not need any extra investments or modifications to make the switch. Made from sustainably sourced, 100% renewable raw materials, Neste MY Renewable Diesel can reduce up to 75% of GHG emissions over its life cycle compared to fossil diesel.*

“We are thrilled to help Capitol Corridor complete the testing of Neste MY Renewable Diesel in their locomotive,” says Carrie Song, Vice President, Americas from Renewable Road Transportation business unit at Neste. “Renewable diesel is a solution available already today to reduce GHG emissions from all diesel engines. This testing showcases the potential of using renewable diesel to combat climate change for the rail industry.”

*Per Neste sources, the GHG emission reduction varies depending on the region-specific legislation that provides the methodology for the calculations (e.g. EU RED II 2018/2001/EU for Europe and US California LCFS for the US), and the raw material mix used to manufacture the product for each market.

About the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA)

Since July 2015, SJJPA has been responsible for the management and administration of Amtrak San Joaquins. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the ten (10) Member Agencies along the 365-mile San Joaquins Corridor. For more information on SJJPA see www.sjjpa.com. Amtrak San Joaquins is Amtrak’s 6th busiest route with 1 million annual riders and 18 stations providing a safe, comfortable and reliable way to travel throughout California. Prior to service modifications due to the COVID-19 crisis, Amtrak San Joaquins operated 7 daily train round-trips and its Thruway buses provided connecting service to over 100 destinations in California and Nevada including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno. To book your next trip, visit www.AmtrakSanJoaquins.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.

Contacts:
Priscilla Kalugdan

Rail Advocate Robert Raburn takes the helm of Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors

March 22, 2023

Raburn elected Chair & Bruce Houdesheldt as Vice Chair for 2023-2024 term

Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) announces BART Board Member Robert Raburn and Roseville Mayor Bruce Houdesheldt were elected to Chair and Vice Chair for CCJPA’s Board of Directors’ (Board) 2023-2024 term. CCJPA’s 16-member Board of Directors provide oversight of CCJPA’s business plan strategies for the Capitol Corridor® intercity passenger rail service. 

“Chair Raburn’s years of CCJPA leadership experience and decades of transportation advocacy will be invaluable on the 2023-2024 Board, which includes experienced rail leaders and those new to CCJPA,” Capitol Corridor Managing Director Rob Padgette said. In January, forty percent of those sworn in to join the Board this term are serving for the first time. “Chair Raburn’s years of public service will bring critical leadership to Northern California in this exciting time for intercity passenger rail.” Padgette added.

Chair Raburn, as a BART Board Member, has served on CCJPA’s Board since 2013, yet he has supported intercity passenger rail well before his role as an elected official. He has been a regular Capitol Corridor rider since 1997, the year he purchased his first multiride pass and used his bicycle to pedal to Oakland’s Jack London Square.

“Capitol Corridor faces challenges so many public transportation agencies are currently struggling with,” Chair Raburn said. “I look forward to working with both new and seasoned Board Members to advance our key initiatives and continue Capitol Corridor’s role as Northern California’s premiere passenger rail service.” 

Roseville Mayor Bruce Houdesheldt, as Vice Chair, brings more than 25 years of leadership. He has vast experience representing small and national companies on transportation, housing, land use, water and air quality policy and regulatory issues. Houdesheldt joined CCJPA’s Board in 2021. Serving as a CCJPA representative from the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, the leadership team will bring to the CCJPA the broad geographic representation so central to CCJPA’s success. 

Capitol Corridor Announces Pilot Program to Let Riders Pay Fares with Contactless Debit/Credit Cards

January 27, 2023

Northern California’s Sacramento to San Francisco Bay Area intercity passenger rail line is first in the U.S. to let customers tap a bank card to pay on-board

OAKLAND, CA, JANUARY 27, 2023 — With its new pilot program, Tap2Ride, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) is bringing the familiar convenience of retail payments to train passengers by allowing riders to “tap” their contactless debit or credit card to pay for train fares, just like they do for groceries and other everyday purchases.

Upon launch, Capitol Corridor will be the first Amtrak-operated intercity passenger rail line in the United States to accept riders’ contactless bank cards for fare payment aboard trains.

“We’re excited to bring our customers the ease and convenience of using their bank cards to tap to pay for train travel along our beautiful 18-stop route in Northern California,” said Rob Padgette, Managing Director of the Capitol Corridor rail service that connects the Sacramento capital region to the San Francisco Bay Area. “This modern approach to fare payment is in line with the free wi-fi, free full-length movies, spacious seating, bike storage, and other amenities we offer on our trains so that it’s both easy and fun to leave the car at home and choose to ride our service for work and leisure.”

The pilot program—dubbed ‘Tap2Ride’—is slated to begin by March 2023, comprised of 200 frequent train riders, with contactless payment readers on both levels of one designated car per train. During the pilot—which is expected to run for several months—Capitol Corridor will seek feedback from participants and determine next steps for a possible expansion of contactless fare payments in the future.

Capitol Corridor is now recruiting pilot participants and is seeking volunteers who represent a wide range of train travel destinations. The fast and easy sign-up form is at capitolcorridor.org/tap2ride, and more pilot information is available in these FAQs.

The Tap2Ride pilot was presented, discussed, and approved at the April 20, 2022, CCJPA Board meeting; view the agenda and video. To launch this pilot, CCJPA tapped Caltrans’ California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP), an initiative—of which CCJPA is the fiscal sponsor—that makes riding by rail and bus in California simpler and more cost-effective, in part by providing free technical assistance to public transportation providers that want to modernize their fare collection systems.

“At Cal-ITP, we want to make it easy for riders to choose public transportation and use the bank card that’s hopefully already in their wallet to pay as they go,” said Gillian Gillett, who leads Cal- ITP, which recently published a case study on how transit agencies can help put debit cards and financial accounts into the hands of unbanked transit customers. “My team is pleased to support Capitol Corridor as they work toward providing passengers with a seamless and interoperable payment experience that’s been proven to increase rail ridership across the globe.”

Capitol Corridor needed an interoperable fare payment method because it runs between two major regions of Northern California that use two different closed-loop transit cards: Clipper in the Bay Area, and Connect Card in Sacramento. Neither Clipper nor Connect Card could be integrated with Amtrak’s federal and state ticketing requirements, and connecting transit agencies on the Sacramento end of the line are looking into accepting contactless debit/credit cards alongside their other fare payment methods.

To bring a more convenient form of fare payment to Capitol Corridor customers, CCJPA elected to pilot accepting contactless open-loop bank cards, the global standard for paying for goods and services. Beginning with registered pilot participants, Capitol Corridor customers will be able to pay for a transit ride the same way they do for other everyday purchases—without stopping to download transit agency-specific apps, juggle exact change, or buy or reload multiple regional farecards.

Pilot participants will also be able to take advantage of distance-based “fare capping”: Tapped fares are automatically calculated based on distance traveled, and they are “capped” at a weekly maximum when a rider taps the same bank card each time they travel between their home station and most frequent destination station on Capitol Corridor. This more equitable method of fare payment allows customers to pay as they go (instead of paying the full price of a pass upfront) and only for the number of train rides they take and the distance they actually travel. Riders can also monitor their fare spending via a convenient web portal.

Passengers who do not have a contactless Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card can order a free contactless-enabled debit card, such as the Cash App Card or Venmo Debit Card.

For the pilot program, CCJPA will be testing trips only on Capitol Corridor trains. CCJPA will not be including bus connections, though CCJPA will be evaluating and evolving the program over the coming months and hopes to offer bus connections in the near future.

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About the Capitol Corridor

Managed by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), the Capitol Corridor is an intercity rail service connecting the most economically vibrant urban centers in Northern California—from Auburn/Sacramento to Silicon Valley, and including San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. With free wi-fi on board, Capitol Corridor trains provide a convenient, reliable, and comfortable alternative to the congested I-80, I-680, and I-880 freeways for more than 1.8 million work and leisure travelers every year (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Contact:

Priscilla Kalugdan

[email protected]

(510) 464-6992

About Cal-ITP

The California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) was established by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to both improve and encourage the use of multimodal travel throughout California—by enabling contactless open-loop payments (with debit and credit cards), standardizing information for easy multimodal trip planning, and automating customer discounts (Cal-ITP Benefits). Prior to launching Cal-ITP Benefits, the Cal-ITP team successfully led contactless open-loop payment demonstrations with Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) as well as public transit agencies in Sacramento and Santa Barbara County. Learn more at calitp.org and on @California_ITP on Twitter, or by subscribing to the Caltrans Mobility Newsletter. And visit Cal-ITP’s CAMobilityMarketplace.org for a catalog of code-compliant products and services for public mobility providers, including contactless payment acceptance hardware and software and discounted cellular data plans.

Contact:

Erika Ehmsen

[email protected]

(916) 378-1312

Link21 Announces Appointment of 18 Members to Newly Formed Equity Advisory Council

January 19, 2023

After months of recruitment and a rigorous selection process, Link21 is proud to announce the selection of 18 community members for appointment to the newly formed Equity Advisory Council (EAC). Serving up to a two-year term, members will be compensated for contributing their time, perspective, and “lived experience” or professional familiarity in technical and/or policy areas such as passenger rail transportation and land use, housing, environmental, environmental justice, transit justice, and economic development.

“Equity is integral to every aspect of Link21,” said Sadie Graham, Link21 Program Director. “We created the EAC to help shape the Program’s planning of passenger rail improvements in the Northern California Megaregion. The EAC will serve as an advisory body to the Link21 Program, providing input and guidance on key milestones. The EAC will provide a space for meaningful community collaboration to help advance equity throughout the development and implementation of the Link21 Program. We are committed to listening to and learning from the EAC members, and the community input they will contribute.”

Link21 received a robust response from people who were interested in serving on the EAC. From a large pool of dozens of applicants, Link21 selected members who represent the diversity of the 21-county Northern California Megaregion, including low-income communities, communities of color and young people that have been most impacted by transportation inequities, as well as other communities that have historically been underserved.

The EAC comprises the following members:

Ameerah Thomas, Oakland
Angela E. Hearring, Sacramento
Beth Kenny, Alameda
Clarence Fischer, Cherryland
Cory Mickels, San Francisco
David Sorrell, Union City
David Ying, San Leandro
Elizabeth Madrigal, Seaside
Fiona Yim, Berkeley
Gracyna Mohabir, San Jose
Harun David, Richmond
Landon Hill, Oakland
Linda Braak, Davis
Maya Amichai, Oakland
Samia Zuber, San Francisco
Stevon Cook, Oakland
Taylor Booker, Hercules
Vanessa Ross Aquino, San Francisco

The EAC will hold its first two meetings in January and February 2023, with subsequent meetings scheduled approximately every other month. Meetings will be held virtually and will be open to the public for brief comments with livestreaming. Information, agendas, and other materials will be available in advance of each meeting.

About Link21

Sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), Link21 is working with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and other transportation partners to create a connected, equitable, and accessible network of train service that cares for people, the environment, and quality of life for generations to come. A new train crossing between Oakland and San Francisco is the core of the program.

Get on Board!