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Placer County to receive $25 million to help expand Capitol Corridor Service

June 29, 2023

Additional track will help increase passenger rail frequency and reliability

OAKLAND, CALIF., June 29, 2023— Yesterday, the California Transportation Commission approved $25 million in funds from Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP) for Placer County Transportation Planning Authority (PCTPA) and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), to support Phase 1 of the Sacramento to Roseville 3rd Main Track Project (SR3T).

Phase 1 of the SR3T involves construction work and track improvements that will allow the Capitol Corridor to operate up to three round trips (6 trains) daily between Sacramento and Roseville, increasing service from the current single daily round trip. Once fully completed, the SR3T Phase 1 project will construct approximately 7 miles of third main track and a new layover/servicing facility for Capitol Corridor trains in Roseville.

Following the announcement, CCJPA Board Vice Chair and PCTPA Board Director Bruce Houdesheldt said, “We are grateful to the CTC for this award, which will help build greater connection for Placer County communities to Sacramento and beyond. The two additional Capitol Corridor roundtrips enabled by completion of Phase 1 will triple the current frequency of Capitol Corridor service in the area between Roseville and Sacramento. Expanding transportation options within Placer County is critical for the area, and when this project is fully completed, the improvements will allow for greater frequency and reliability for both freight and passenger operations through the region.”

“Capitol Corridor riders have long awaited additional service in the Placer County area, and we are pleased to get one step closer to realizing the goal of bringing more trains to the region” said Capitol Corridor Managing Director Robert Padgette. “Additional track will help us to run our service more reliably, as it will allow both freight and passenger trains to run through the area.”

The award of SCCP funding represents the last of the state funding share for Phase 1 of the SR3T. The SCCP funding also includes specific improvements for a key phase of the Sacramento Valley Station improvement project. To become fully funded for Phase 1 of this project, CCJPA awaits approximately $43M in Federal funding from one of two nearly identical grant applications made to the Federal Railway Administration (FRA). CCJPA is nearing the 90% design completion and is working to secure additional right-of-way in preparation of entering the construction phase of the project in late 2024.

“With the rapid population growth in South Placer County, these funds are a critical piece that will help bring the much-needed transportation options provided by the Capitol Corridor third main track to Roseville and Placer County. I am thankful to the CTC for this $25,000,000 award,” said CCJPA Board Director Jim Holmes.

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Contacts:

  • Priscilla Kalugdan, CCJPA Communications Officer, (510) 464-6992
  • Matt Click,  PCTPA Executive Director, (530) 823-4030

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

About PCTPA

Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) is the forum for making decisions about the regional transportation system in Placer County. The decisions made are reflected in PCTPA’s planning and programming of the area’s state and federal transportation funds. In developing and adopting plans and strategies, we not only make the best use of these funds, but also fulfill the requirements of our state designation as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Placer County.

 

Link21 Summer 2023 Engagement Activities

June 21, 2023

Link21 hosts several events this month to share new information about train service improvements that Link21 concepts could provide

OAKLAND, CA — Over the past few years, Link21 has heard from community members that better options are needed for travel. Specifically, we have heard about what’s important to community members when taking a train to travel. Service improvements like frequency, travel time, reliability, and convenience rose to the top. With new information available about train service improvements that Link21 concepts could provide, Link21 is engaging with community members throughout the 21-county Northern California Megaregion through several virtual and in-person events.

Online Open House
Join anytime, 24/7, through Friday, July 21 to conveniently participate, whether it’s from the comfort of your own home or even while commuting on the train. Visit Link21Program.org for more details.

Virtual Events
Attend via Zoom to hear a presentation and ask questions of Link21 Team members.

  • Tuesday, June 27, 5:30-7:00 p.m. – Community Meeting
  • Thursday, June 29, 5:00-6:00 p.m. – Office Hour

 

In-Person Open Houses
The Link21 Program hosted a series of in-person open houses over the past few weeks in Richmond, San Francisco, and Oakland. Visitors could chat directly with members of the Link21 Team to learn about the Program, ask questions, and share input.

Community engagement and feedback provided at these events will help develop service improvements that best meet the needs of our diverse communities, and allow more people to conveniently travel around the Megaregion. “Northern California is one of the nation’s most dynamic economies, with a wide range of geographic, industrial and cultural diversity,” said Sadie Graham, Link21 Program Director for BART. “In order to ensure Link21 is fulfilling the needs of our communities, we need to meet people where they live, work, and play, and include them in these important conversations.”

Learn More & Register at Link21Program.org/events!
Event materials will be provided in English, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese, and interpretation support in Spanish and Cantonese will be available for live events. To request American Sign Language and other accommodations, email [email protected] or call 855-905-Link (5465) between one and five days in advance of the meeting date.

 

About Link21
Link21’s goal is to improve rail travel throughout the Megaregion, giving riders access to destinations across Northern California, which include neighborhoods throughout the Bay area, Sacramento Valley, Monterey Bay and the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Each programmatic concept includes a new underground passenger train crossing of the San Francisco Bay, connecting communities in San Francisco and the Peninsula to the East Bay with more trains and better service.

This long-range transportation program is sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority to transform the passenger rail network serving the 21-county Northern California Megaregion, which includes the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey Bay area, the Sacramento area, and the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

 

 

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.
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 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 capitolcorridor.org.

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.  

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.