Winter Weather Update: Connecting Bus Service Cancellations to/from Reno & South Lake Tahoe

Priscilla Kalugdan News Archive, Service Alerts

Updated January 24

Connecting bus service to/from Reno and South Lake Tahoe has resumed.

Updated January 23
In addition to the cancellation of service to/from Reno (see January 22 update below), service has also been cancelled between Placerville and stops in South South Lake Tahoe. The following bus connections are cancelled today:

– Bus 3424 connecting from Train 524
– Bus 3447 connecting to Train 547

Bus service between Sacramento and Placerville will operate today.

Updated January 22
A winter storm in the Sierra is expected to carry into early Monday morning, January 23, with lighter snow expected throughout the day. Based on this report and the continued unreliability of the weather, Capitol Corridor’s connecting bus service will be cancelled all day Monday, January 23 at the following stops:

  • Colfax
  • Truckee
  • Reno
  • Sparks

Service will operate between Sacramento and Auburn on Monday, and we will resume service into the Sierra on Tuesday, January 24, when the weather is expected to be clear.

We will evaluate the road conditions to Placerville and South Lake Tahoe early Monday morning and update this news article with that information.

For current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or call the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

Updated January 19
With storms expected to hit the Sierra Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 22, and possibly into Monday, Capitol Corridor’s connecting bus service is cancelled on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all day at the following stops:

– Colfax, Truckee, Reno, and Sparks (Service will operate between Sacramento and Auburn)
– Tahoe Wye, Stateline Transit Center, and Stateline Kingsbury (Service will run between Sacramento and Placerville)

We will continue to monitor conditions and update this article on Sunday night with information for Monday, January 23.

For current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or call the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

Updated January 18
Due to deteriorating winter weather in the Sierra, Capitol Corridor connecting bus service between Sacramento and Reno is experiencing delays and some cancellations. The following buses between Sacramento and Reno are cancelled today:
– Bus 3549 from Reno to Sacramento connecting to Train 549 that departs Sacramento at 6:55pm.
– Bus 3534 from Sacramento to Reno connecting from Train 532 that arrives in Sacramento at 3:28pm.

We encourage passengers planning to take connecting bus service, especially to and from the Sierra, to call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL beforehand to check on the status of their trip. (When you call, ignore the “Press 1 for Capitol Corridor Customer Service” prompt and stay on the line to speak to an Amtrak Customer Services representative.)

For current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or call the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

Updated January 12
While weather conditions in the Sierra have improved, Capitol Corridor connecting bus service continues to experience cancellations and delays. Currently, there is no service at Colfax, Truckee, or Reno. There is service between Sacramento and Auburn and Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe; however, these are subject to delay, especially the service to/from South Lake Tahoe.

We encourage passengers planning to take connecting bus service, especially to and from the Sierra, to call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL beforehand to check on the status of their trip. (When you call, ignore the “Press 1 for Capitol Corridor Customer Service” prompt and stay on the line to speak to an Amtrak Customer Services representative.)

For current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or call the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

Updated Tuesday, January 10
Connecting bus service east of Auburn is cancelled today and most likely tomorrow, January 11, due to blizzard and whiteout conditions in the Sierra. If you have reservations and need to reschedule or request a refund for your trip, please call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL. (When you call, ignore the “Press 1 for Capitol Corridor Customer Service” prompt and stay on the line to speak to an Amtrak Customer Services representative.)

Other bus routes are still operating, but delays are possible due to heavy rain and flooding.

For current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or call the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

Updated Friday, January 6
Severe winter weather is expected to move into Northern California early Saturday morning on January 7 and last through Wednesday, January 11, with up to two feet of snow expected at higher elevations on Saturday and into Sunday before turning to rain. During this time, connecting bus service from Sacramento to Reno and South Lake Tahoe will likely experience delays and cancellations.

Additionally, other Capitol Corridor connecting bus routes may experience delays throughout the weekend and possibly longer due to the storms and potential flooding.

We encourage passengers planning to take connecting bus service, especially to and from the Sierra, to call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL beforehand to check on the status of their trip. (When you call, ignore the “Press 1 for Capitol Corridor Customer Service” prompt and stay on the line to speak to an Amtrak Customer Services representative.)

For current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or call the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).


Update Thursday, January 5
:
With clearing weather on Thursday, January 5 and Friday, January 6, connecting bus service should be on time between Sacramento and Auburn. However, service east of Auburn is still subject to delays due to chaining requirements. Another storm is expected to come in later on Friday, January 6 and continue through Sunday, January 8. This may cause additional delays, as well as cancellations. We will update this page as new information becomes available.

For current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or call the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

Updated Monday, January 2:
Due to severe winter weather and road conditions expected through Thursday, January 5, connecting bus service between Auburn and Reno and Auburn and South Lake Tahoe is experiencing delays and even last-minute cancellations. We are encouraging passengers travelling to and from these regions to delay their travel until after the storms pass as weather and road conditions can change at a moment’s notice.

We will continue to update this page with any new information about our connecting bus service as it becomes available. In the meantime, for current road conditions, visit Caltrans’ “QuickMap” or by calling the California Highway Information Network’s automated phone service at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).

If you do decide to cancel your travel plans on the Capitol Corridor, please call Amtrak Customer Service at 800-USA-RAIL to request a refund or change your travel date. (When you call, ignore the “Press 1 for Capitol Corridor Customer Service” prompt and stay on the line to speak to an Amtrak Customer Services representative.)