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Schedule Change Planned for Spring 2021

February 22, 2021

To better serve our passengers and improve service reliability, we are introducing a new schedule that will go into effect on Monday, March 29, 2021. You can preview the new train schedule, as well as the full connecting bus schedule.

The new schedule continues eight round trips on weekdays and five on weekends, which is a temporary, reduced schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our intent is to eventually return to our pre-pandemic level of 15 round trips on weekdays and 11 on weekends.

With this new schedule, we are keeping the service frequencies the same with some adjustments in departure times and a shift in trains to better match current customer demand. Highlights of the new schedule are:

    • Consistent/”Pulse” Departure Times: The new schedule will begin to offer more consistent and predictable departure times after the hour (e.g. 5:11pm, 6:11pm . . . ) for select trains, sometimes referred to as a “pulse schedule.” We plan to transition more trains to a “pulse schedule” with future schedule changes.
    • Daily Direct Service between Auburn and San Jose: Passengers will now be able to take advantage of a new direct, round-trip train on weekdays between Auburn and San Jose, with no transfers or waiting. With an earlier morning departure out of Auburn and a later evening arrival into Auburn, passengers will have ample time for work or day trips to the San Francisco Bay Area.
    • Reduced midday gaps between trains: New schedule will have a better distribution of trains throughout the day with a smaller gap between morning trains and midday trains.
    • Improved arrival and departure times at the Sacramento and San Jose stations to better meet increased demand during peak periods.
    • Earlier eastbound departure out of Oakland Jack London Square to Sacramento: New schedule shifts earliest eastbound train from Train 522 to Train 520, departing Oakland at 5:12am and arriving into Sacramento at 7:10am.
    • More Time at Busier Stations: On weekends, the schedule will provide more time at busier stations to accommodate travelers with luggage or bikes.
    • Return of a sixth round trip between San Jose and Oakland.
    • Better connections with Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).