Effective Monday, April 29, 2002 the Capitol Corridor timetable will change. New schedules are now available at all Capitol Corridor staffed stations. Or, you may view and print the new schedules in PDF format at http://www.amtrakcapitols.com
SF Thruway Bus Service Between Emeryville and SFO to be Discontinued
Effective Monday, April 29, 2002, Amtrak will no longer offer Thruway bus service between San Francisco International Airport and trains at Emeryville. The Capitol Corridor cited light ridership and the extension of BART to the Airport this summer in their decision.
As a result, all Amtrak ticket sales to Millbrae and the airport end
April 29, 2002. Passengers wishing to connect from Amtrak to the airport may take Thruway bus service to the financial district stop (SFF) and transfer to a SFO Airporter bus at the same Hyatt Hotel bus stop. Some schedules skip SFF, but customers may get off at the Ferry Building and walk two blocks to the SFF bus stop. Amtrak passengers can also transfer to BART at Richmond, and take SamTrans route BX from Colma BART to SFO.
Customers for Millbrae may take a Thruway bus to the Caltrain
station (4th and King) and take a train to Millbrae.
Capitol Corridor Transfer Program Expands
The Capitol Corridor free transit transfer program now includes
County Connection in Contra Costa County. With the free transfer, train riders may board County Connection buses at the Martinez Amtrak station.
Upon request, conductors will issue free AC Transit, County Connection, and Sacramento Regional Transit two-part transfers valid for a roundtrip on local bus and light rail services of those operators. The roundtrip must be completed within the same day, otherwise the regular transit fare must be paid. In Sacramento, Route 30 serves the station platforms directly 7 days a week and provides direct access to Sutter's Fort and CSUS. Light rail and other bus routes are a few blocks away. AC Transit serves Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Hayward, and Fremont. Transfers are not valid on transbay AC routes.
In addition, passengers may purchase BART tickets at a 20% discount. Passengers can obtain a $5 ticket for $4 in the cafe car. This is sufficient to pay for a roundtrip from Richmond to downtown San Francisco. Passengers can connect with BART at the Richmond station.
The program has been "extremely successful in encouraging passengers
to take connecting public transportation to their final
destinations," said Capitol Corridor Managing Director Gene
Skoropowski. The number of train riders transferring to AC Transit buses, for
example, grew 80 percent between May and September, Skoropowski said.
Capitol Corridor 10th Birthday Celebration
The 10th Birthday party, celebrating Ten Years of Operation of the Capitol Corridor, was held on December 15 at the State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. The event was sponsored by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority in cooperation with Amtrak, Caltrans, and the Union Pacific Railroad.
Many local dignitaries spoke at the event, including Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo and Assembly members Tim Leslie and Helen Thomson. Passenger speaker representatives were Chuck Robuck (Auburn to Sac), Marty DeVault and Estelle Shiroma (Sac to Bay Area), and Mark Altenberg (East Bay to San Jose). A gold-plated railroad spike mounted on black marble was presented to Gene Skoropowski on behalf of the CC Riders, along with an 18-foot scroll of 400 passenger signatures! Thanks to everyone's generosity, we ended up with more money than we needed for Gene's plaque. The excess funds were contributed to Community Health Charities as a gift from the CC Riders. Photos from the event will be posted soon!
Amtrak parking passes will continue to be valid at the Boy Scout lot located at 616 First Street, the parking garage at 117 F Street, the existing Amtrak lots, and the parking structure at 4th and G Streets. Amtrak passes WILL NOT be valid at other City lots.
CC Rider Pin Design Contest Winner
Congratulations to Chuck Robuck (Auburn to Sac) who was announced the winner of the CC Rider Pin Design Contest at the 10th Birthday Party! Many thanks to all who submitted pin designs including finalists Mike Adams, Eydie Golden, John Gregory (Sac to Bay Area), and Tom Nelson (Oakland to San Jose).
Click on the link to view Chuck's winning design, which has been produced as a pin. We're checking with Gene's office to find out when pins will be distributed to riders.
Winning Entry
10-Ride and Monthly Tickets Now Available by Mail
You can now call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL and request Tickets by Mail for your multiride tickets including MONTHLY and 10-RIDES. Provide Amtrak with your desired start date (first date of validity for the 10-RIDE. The MONTHLY starts with the first day of the month for which the ticket is to be valid. Amtrak asks that you plan ahead and order your multiride tickets at least 9 days in advance so you can be assured of receiving your ticket before the validity date begins. Amtrak is not able to handle requests under three days and payment is by credit card only. Advise the Amtrak agent to refer to G/POL/TBM/P50-P55 for complete details.
Please Join Our New List!
Effective August 6, ListBot has discontinued offering their free subscriber services. A new group e-mail list has been established at MSN Communities. The group e-mail list will be used to send out special meeting announcements and notices of train-related events. All registered users will also be able to send group e-mail to fellow commuters.
If you would like to join our subscriber list, please sign up:
Sacramento Intermodal Station Planning Process
City staff and the City's consultants have completed the first phase of analysis in the Sacramento Intermodal Station Planning process. The initial findings and recommendations were presented at the public meetings held in May.
A staff report can be obtained at the City Economic Development Department offices located at 1030 15th Street, Suite 250. The report will also be made available for downloading directly from the City's website.
For more information, contact Paul Blumberg, Project Manager with the City of Sacramento Economic Development Department:
Telephone: 916.264.7204
Facsimile: 916.264.8161
e-mail: Paul Blumberg at pblumberg@cityofsacramento.org.
Amtrak has started a new program called 'Amtrak Guest Rewards' that will give passengers opportunities to earn points for every trip they take on Amtrak. Travelers on the Capitol Corridor can earn two points for every dollar spent on Amtrak fares. Points can also be earned through hotel stays, car rentals and shopping purchases at partner establishments. You may also earn 500 bonus points just for enrolling in this free program online if you travel on Amtrak within 90 days of enrollment.
We should continue to monitor the bus
situation and report problems to Dick Bush of Amtrak at BushD@amtrak.com or
amtrakbus@aol.com and copy Jay Commer at UJCC@amtrak.com
If you have any
positive comments regarding service improvements or outstanding bus drivers,
please also let them know.
Amtrak Capitol Web Site
Amtrak has a web site for the Capitols:
http://www.amtrakcapitols.com/. Along
with basic information on destinations, schedules, and fares, there is a page
describing the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, which manages the
Capitols. You can find contact information for the CCJPA here.
Capitol Corridor Trains in the News
Going the Distance. by Anthony Le Page. Features regular riders Glenda Brown and John Gregory. Sacramento Bee, January 28, 2001.
