Welcome Aboard
As I reflect on this past year, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together at Capitol Corridor. Closing out FY2024, we achieved several significant milestones that highlight our recovery and growth. For the first time since 2019, we surpassed one million riders in a single fiscal year, carrying 1,032,633 passengers and generating over $25.2 million in revenue. This milestone represents not just a turning point for ridership but also a testament to the resilience and dedication of our team and the continued trust of our riders. It’s an especially meaningful accomplishment as we celebrate serving more than 30 million riders during our 26 years of service.
Focused efforts helped boost ridership this year. Special event trains to major sports events and concerts, with notable services to Levi’s Stadium® and the Oakland A’s final game at the Oakland Coliseum attracted riders from all over the region. We also introduced the Carry-on Pets Program in November 2023, allowing dogs and cats under 20 pounds to travel with their owners on the Capitol Corridor service. Since its launch, over 1,000 pets have joined their owners onboard, generating more than $30,000 in revenue.
During the pandemic, we made a strategic financial decision to lend some of our equipment to other state-supported agencies. This allowed them to invest in new equipment while we temporarily operated with shorter train sets. As our recovery continues, we anticipate returning to full service in 2025. The return of the equipment will allow us to accommodate more passengers and ease crowding on popular trains for an overall improved experience.
These accomplishments reflect the dedication of our team and the support of our riders and partners. Together, we are building a stronger future for Capitol Corridor.
See you on the train,
Rob Padgette
Managing Director, Capitol Corridor
26 Years of Results
FY2024
SERVICE LEVEL
+275%
+275%
SINCE FY1998
FY2024
RIDERSHIP
+123%
+123%
SINCE FY1998
FY2024
REVENUE
+303
+303%
SINCE FY1998
+175
-23
42
-30
Ridership
Revenue
On-Time Performance
Overall Satisfaction
“This is a great way to see the other parts of California.”
Ticket Purchase
88% Internet & Mobile
10% At Stations
2% Other
Top City Pairs
Sacramento – Emeryville
Sacramento – Oakland
Sacramento – Richmond
Busiest Trains
Train 538
Train 529
Train 541
Service Levels
Capitol Corridor service levels have remained steady since October 2022, with a schedule change that restored weekend service to pre-pandemic levels and added more weekday service.
Travel Modes to Station
“I really enjoy traveling by train. Especially accessibility for traveling with pets.”
Customer Experience
In FY2024, we introduced new programs and expanded current initiatives to enhance overall customer experience and increase ridership. Our riders had more flexibility and more opportunities to take Capitol Corridor.
New Program: Carry-on Pets Policy
In November 2023, we launched Carry-on Pets, allowing dogs and cats—weighing under 20 pounds—to travel with their owners on Capitol Corridor trains. Since its inception, we’ve welcomed more than 1,000 pets onboard Capitol Corridor, generating $30,000 in revenue!
Partnerships Supporting Ridership Growth and Events
Our partnerships played an important role in boosting ridership this year. Special event trains were a big hit, carrying over 13,000 passengers to San Francisco 49ers games and concerts at Levi’s® Stadium, giving fans an easy and convenient way to avoid parking and traffic. In September, we also helped thousands of Oakland A’s fans get to the team’s final home game at the Oakland Coliseum, a historic and emotional event for the community.
We worked with groups like San Francisco Travel, Visit Oakland, and minor league baseball teams such as the Sacramento River Cats and Oakland Ballers to encourage train travel to events and attractions. Partnerships with Bike East Bay, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, and Capital Tuk-Tuk also made it easier for riders to connect to other transportation options. These efforts reflect our focus on providing reliable, accessible, and enjoyable travel experiences for all.
Community Engagement
Corridor Conversations
Our quarterly Corridor Conversation webinars allowed us to discuss important topics such as the FY2024-2025 Annual Business Plan, the Tap2Ride program, and general service updates. These webinars provided an interactive platform for participants to share their thoughts and feedback, helping us to continuously improve our service.
Cappy Hour
Our seasonal Cappy Hours created a fun and casual atmosphere for our riders. These events, which featured discounted drinks and free cookies, often coincided with various seasonal themes such as Halloween, spring, Bike Month, and the Winter Annual Business Plan Workshops. These gatherings offer an open and friendly environment for our riders to engage with us directly.
Press and Public Events
In FY2024, we hosted press events and celebrations to highlight new programs and significant milestones, including the success of the Carry-on Pets Program, reaching over 1 million riders, and the Rail Safety Special Event Train. Additionally, we organized public meetings for the Link21 and South Bay Connect projects, offering virtual open houses and encouraging the public to share their comments and feedback on both initiatives.
Promotions
BOGO+ Weekends
From winter through Labor Day, we ran a “Buy One, Get One” promotion, offering riders to bring a companion for free on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.
Train Promotions & Discounts
To help balance ridership, we offered 50% off Café Car discounts on the less crowded Trains 540 and 536 during select months.
SENIOR DISCOUNT
Senior Discount: Seniors aged 62 and older can enjoy a 15% discount on train travel with this California Everyday Discount.
Student Discount
This California Everyday Discount offers students aged 13-25 a 15% discount.
“Capitol Corridor is an excellent service. I look forward to using it for my work commute for years to come.”
Rail Safety Month Special Safety Train Event
In collaboration with California Operation Lifesaver (CAOL), Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), Amtrak, and other rail partners, we launched Rail Safety Month with a special safety train ride and press event between Oakland and Hayward stations. This multi-agency effort raised awareness about rail safety. City staff participated in the special train ride and railroad and local law enforcement issued warnings and citations to motorists and pedestrians who failed to follow traffic signs and signals at railroad crossings. This event highlighted the strong collaboration with these agencies in an effort to promote safety along the right-of-way.
Tap2Ride Contactless Fare Payment
In March 2023, we launched the Tap2Ride pilot as part of the California Integrated Travel Program (Cal-ITP). Since the program’s inception, we’ve learned a tremendous amount of information from the Tap2Ride pilot trial and initial fare offer. We chose to update that fare offer in 2024 using the recent analysis of the Tap2Ride pilot and analysis of Amtrak ticketing data. In 2025, we plan to implement some fare study recommendations for the program.
MILESTONES
Agnew Siding
Funding: State Rail Assistance (SRA), Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP)
This project creates a new place for trains to meet and pass south of the Great America Station, easing train congestion in the South Bay. Trains that need to meet in this single-track segment are occasionally subject to delays. Construction of this new siding aims to reduce these delays.
Key milestones:
2019 Final design started
2023 Utility relocation under way
2025 Final project design to be completed
2025 Construction expected to begin
Carquinez High Level Crossing Studies
Funding Source: TIRCP
The Benicia-Martinez Rail Bridge lift to allow for maritime traffic is a current source of train delays and limits future expansion of Capitol Corridor service. This two-part study identified three viable alternatives and engineering feasibility for high-level (non-lift) rail bridge options across the Carquinez strait. It also identified the various engineering considerations in any subsequent operation studies or environmental studies, which would be the next steps before moving forward with more formalized
project development.
Key milestones:
2021 Developed funding package and initial studies scope
2022 Examine feasible and viable high-level options via a study – phase one
2023 Narrow options via a deeper study and present options to leadership at CCJPA and CalSTA – phase two
2024 Fund project development phases in environmental and initial design
2027 Complete CEQA/NEPA project development and 30% design
2029 Complete 100% design
2030 Construction expected to begin of high-level bridge
2033 Construction expected to be completed
CCJPA ROW Safety Improvement Program
Funding: Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI), SRA
CCJPA’s Right-of-Way (ROW) Safety Improvement Program will install high security fencing at locations with a particularly high rate of fatalities, injuries, and/or delays. This project will include a before and after study to understand the effectiveness of the fencing in preventing unauthorized access to the ROW and related incidents, identify locations where fencing is often breached, and develop a plan of how to secure other locations on our route and maintain its condition to maximize its effectiveness over time.
Key milestones:
2023 Completed safety incident hotpot analysis to identify highest priority areas for improvements and preliminary survey of fencing needs
2024 Submitted grant application for federal CRISI funds
2025 Pending funding, continue with final design and environmental phase to begin
2026 Construction expected to begin
2031 Construction expected to be completed
Davis Station Improvement Project
Funding: Public Transportation Account (PTA), SRA, CCJPA Revenue Above Budget, Amtrak and UPRR.
CCJPA is collaborating with Amtrak and Union Pacific for track and signal upgrades. This is the first phase of a larger future project of improvement initiatives at Davis Station that will improve safety and ADA access with a center island platform and restore access to the neighborhood east of the station.
Key milestones:
2019 $4M committed for track and signal upgrades
2021 Platform replacement design kickoff
2024 Develop concepts for station reconstruction
2025 Track and signal design completion; track construction expected to begin
2028 Platform replacement expected to begin
Passenger Information Display System (PIDS) Modernization
Funding Source: SRA
The PIDS Modernization project will implement a new PIDS with new software and hardware that improves upon the functionalities of existing PIDS in providing train status and other service information to passengers at stations. The project also involves implementation of a new data network at Capitol Corridor stations and delivery of a new GTFS-Realtime feed showing real-time location and status of Capitol Corridor trains.
Key milestones:
2020 Software development began
2023 Software continues testing and validation. GTFS-Realtime feeds made available for third-party developer use
2025 New CalPIDS expected to begin operations
Link21 Program
Funding: TIRCP, Annual State Supplemental (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) Measure RR, Regional Measure 3 (RM3) Allocation)
Link21 is working with CalSTA and other agency partners to transform Northern California's passenger rail network into a faster, more integrated system, providing safe, efficient, and affordable travel. At the core of Link21 is a new Transbay passenger rail crossing between Oakland and San Francisco. Proposed improvements will make rail travel more attractive and reliable and provide better access to jobs and housing in the Northern California Megaregion. In the coming years, Link21 will be a part of the federal Corridor Identification and Development Program and work with the State and Federal Railroad Administration to plan for and fund multiple improvements along the Capitol Corridor route.
Key milestones:
2019 Funding awarded to survey project impact on employers and workforce demands
2020 Hired staff dedicated to managing project, embarked on 21-county market analysis
2021 Renamed program Link21, launched website, Bay Area Council Economic Institute issues report on a new rail crossing’s benefit to the Megaregion, conducted two rounds of outreach with priority populations and the general public
2022 CCJPA and BART Boards adopted program Vision, Goals, Objectives and approved the continuation of program development (Stage Gate 1)
2023 $11.3M in funding awarded from CalSTA’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program
2024 Staff completes technical work on the two crossing concepts being considered (standard gauge and BART broad gauge); Link21 included in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program
Sacramento-Roseville Third Track Service Expansion Project
Funding: TIRCP, Prop 1A, Prop 1B, CRISI
With the addition of a third railroad track between Sacramento and Roseville, Capitol Corridor will be able to increase the number of trains operated between these two stations. An overnight train layover/servicing facility will also be a part of the project.
Key milestones:
2015 Environmental phase complete
2016 Awarded $87M from TIRCP, Prop 1A and 1B towards project design and construction
2021 25% design complete
2022 30% design complete
2023 Awarded $42.51M CRISI Grant from FRA
2025 NEPA clearance expected to be completed
2028 Phase one construction expected to begin
South Bay Connect
Funding Source: TIRCP
South Bay Connect proposes to relocate the Capitol Corridor service between Oakland Coliseum and Newark from the current route on the Union Pacific (UP) Niles Subdivision to a shorter, more direct route on the UP Coast Subdivision to improve efficiency and reliability of the service. The project includes construction of a new train station in Fremont/Newark (adjacent to the existing Ardenwood Park & Ride) to facilitate new transbay transit connections for Capitol Corridor passengers between the East Bay and the San Francisco Peninsula, an underserved market for the Capitol Corridor service.
Key milestones:
2019 Project Definition Report completed
2020 Environmental documentation and review process initiated with Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
2024 Draft EIR circulated for public review and comments, Final EIR certified by CCJPA Board
2025 Engineering design to continue
State Route (SR) 84 Intermodal Bus Facility
Funding Source: TIRCP
As a companion project to South Bay Connect with its own independent utility, the SR-84 Intermodal Bus Facility would enhance the multimodal transit connection at the existing Ardenwood Park & Ride, which is also the location of the proposed new Ardenwood station for Capitol Corridor as a part of South Bay Connect. The facility would add westbound and eastbound bus stop platforms on SR-84, allowing transbay buses and shuttles to pick-up and drop-off passengers from the Ardenwood Park & Ride and future train station at the elevated highway level. This project is being planned and designed in coordination with Caltrans, the right-of-way owner of SR-84.
Key milestones:
2021 Caltrans Project Initiation Document (PID) completed
2023 Caltrans Project Approval/Environmental Document (PAED) process initiated
2026 Draft Environmental Document expected to be released for public review
2027 Final Environmental Document expected to be completed
“We love Capitol Corridor and wish to use it more frequently now that we have time. As seniors, driving to Berkeley or San Francisco is difficult.”
Current CCJPA Board Members
To contact them, please reach out to their respective agencies.
San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Edward Wright
Janice Li
Mark Foley
Matthew Rinn
Melissa Hernandez – Vice Chair
Robert Raburn
Placer County Transportation Planning Agency
Bruce Houdesheldt – Chair
Ken Broadway
Suzanne Jones (alt.)
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
David Cohen
Sudhanshu Jain
Sacramento Regional Transit District
Caity Maple
Tim Schaefer
Patrick Kennedy (alt.)
Rod Brewer (alt.)
Yolo County Transportation District
Josh Chapman
Lucas Frerichs
Tom Stallard (alt.)
Solano Transportation Authority
Alma Hernandez
Steve Bird
Catherine Moy (alt.)