Capitol Corridor Announces Record-breaking Ridership
17% Increase in June, 33% Increase in July
OAKLAND, CA., August 12, 2008 — Record-breaking gas prices equate record-breaking ridership, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority reported today.
In June, more than 145,000 passengers rode Capitol Corridor trains on the San Jose-San Francisco/Oakland-Sacramento-Auburn corridor, an increase of nearly 17 percent from the same period a year earlier. Then in July, ridership went through the roof when a record-breaking 161,000 passengers hopped on board–almost 33 percent higher than last July.
“In spite of a major track renewal project that Union Pacific undertook on part of our corridor, June ridership was impressive,” said Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority Managing Director Eugene Skoropowski. “The June track work resulted in reduced train frequency, a mid-day bus bridge, and some service delays, yet ridership grew almost 17 percent. We expected that July would bring us continued and sustained growth now that we are back to reliable full service; however, we were happily astounded by the number of riders–nearly 33 percent more–who flocked on board our trains last month. This dramatic and sustained growth in intercity rail service all across California certainly justifies the recent agreement to proceed with the purchase of additional rail coaches between the Caltrans and the California Department of Finance. And as can be seen from these record ridership results, we are going to need to these additional rail coaches sooner rather than later,” Skoropowski added.
Proposition 1B, the transportation bond championed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and approved by the legislature and voters in 2006, provides Caltrans $400 million to improve California’s intercity rail service, including $125 million to purchase more rail cars and locomotives to meet increasing ridership demand.
