Capitol Corridor

Infobox Amtrak
name = Capitol Corridor
logo_filename = Capitollogo.gif
logo_size = 250

---

image_width = 250
image_caption = Early morning westbound through Santa Clara station
map_filename = Amtrak California simplified map.svg
map_size = 250
map_caption = Amtrak California system map, with Capitol Corridor in Red
numbers = 518-553
720-751 (weekend trains)
route = Auburn, CA
Sacramento, CA
Emeryville, CA
San Francisco, CA
Oakland, CA
San Jose, CA
distance = 172 miles (275 km)
start = December 1991
end = present
owners = UP, JPBX

The "Capitol Corridor" is a 172-mile (275 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in California. Because it is fully supported by the state, the "Capitol Corridor" operates under "Amtrak California". It runs daily from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, roughly parallel to Interstate 80. One daily-scheduled train continues through the eastern Sacramento suburbs to Auburn, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. There are plans to extend one daily-scheduled train to Reno, Nevada, and to increase train frequency throughout the route. The trains are administered by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, with management provided by employees of Bay Area Rapid Transit. The Capitol Corridor has been in operation since 1991.

ervice frequency and ridership

In fiscal year 2005-2006, the "Capitol Corridor" had about 1.3 million riders per year [ [http://www.amtrakcapitols.com/included/docs/ccjpa/businessplan_0704.pdf The Capitol Corridor 2007-2008 Business Plan] ] , and is the third busiest Amtrak route in terms of ridership, surpassed only by the Northeast Corridor and the Pacific Surfliner.

The Capitol Corridor service is commonly used by commuters between the Sacramento area and the Bay Area as an alternative to driving on the congested Interstate 80 corridor. Monthly passes and discounted trip tickets are available on the line. Many high ranking politicians, lobbyists, and their aides choose to live in the Bay Area and commute to their jobs in Sacramento, while workers in the Oakland, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley employment centers take the Capitol Corridor trains from their less expensive homes in Solano County and the Sacramento metropolitan area. [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/12/26/MN141592.DTL Capitol Corridor Ridership Grows On Stretching Bay Area Commutes] ]

Since August 28, 2006, the Capitol Corridor route has run 32 trains per day (16 in each direction) on weekdays, reflecting a substantial increase over the prior service frequency. According to its management, ridership on the Capitol Corridor trains tripled between 1998 and 2005. [ [http://www.capitolcorridor.org/about_ccjpa/press_room/060609_ServiceExpansion.php Capitol Corridor's Largest Service Increase Ever Brings More Direct Trains To Sacramento] ]

Thruway Motorcoach services

Additional cities and regions can be reached with Amtrak California Thruway Motorcoach service:
*Transfer at Sacramento
**Medford, Oregon, Ashland, Oregon, Yreka, Weed, Mt. Shasta, Dunsmuir, Redding, Red Bluff, Corning, Chico, Oroville, Marysville
**Nevada City, Grass Valley
**Reno, Nevada, Truckee, Colfax
**Carson City, Nevada, South Lake Tahoe, Placerville, Cameron Park, Rancho Cordova
*Transfer at Martinez
**Eureka, Arcata, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Vallejo
**Napa
*Transfer at San Jose
**Santa Cruz, Monterey
**Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Salinas, Gilroy, Morgan Hill

Sacramento is the busiest station on the route, and the 7th busiest in the nation.

Proposed expansion

New stations have been proposed along the existing route at Hercules, Benicia, Northern Fairfield/Vacaville, and Dixon. The Northern Fairfield/Vacaville station is being jointly developed by the cities of Fairfield and Vacaville near the corner of Peabody Road and Vanden Road [ [http://www.ci.fairfield.ca.us/Trainstationspecificplan.htm Fairfield Planning Dept. - TRAIN STATION SPECIFIC PLAN] ] [ [http://www.capitolcorridor.org/about_ccjpa/message_to_riders/issue17_04jun.php Capitol Corridor - Issue 17, June 2004] ] . Additionally an intermodal station is planned at the Union City station, connecting to BART as part of a larger Dumbarton Rail Corridor Project to connect Union City, Fremont, and Newark to various Peninsula destinations via the Dumbarton rail bridge. The station is being planned and paid for by BART and the city of Union City [ [http://www.smcta.com/Dumbarton_Rail/information.asp SamTrans - Dumbarton Rail Corridor] ] .

Additionally, an extension of the route has been proposed to the existing Amtrak station in Reno, Nevada.

Origin of route name

The "Capitol Corridor" is given it's name because it links, where California's first state capitol was located, San Jose (1850), with the current state capital, Sacramento. The rail route also travels near historical state capitals of Vallejo (1852) and Benicia (1853). (See also: Historical California capitals.)

The "Capitol Corridor" was originally known as the "Capitols", which Amtrak still uses to refer to the line on it's reservation web page. But in order to avoid confusion with the Amtrak "Capitol Limited" route, which runs between Washington, D.C. and Chicago, "Capitol Corridor" is now the official and preferred name.

Governance

As an Amtrak California route, "Capitol Corridor" is fully funded by the state through Caltrans Division of Rail. Caltrans managed the line from its inception in 1991 to 1997, but in 1998 the administration of the route was transferred to "Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA)", formed by transit agencies of which the "Capitol Corridor" serves in order to have more local control, while still funded by Caltrans. CCJPA in turn contracted with BART for day-to-day management and staff support; also, CCJPA makes decisions on the service level of "Capitol Corridor", capital improvements along the route, and passenger amenities aboard the trains.

The "Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority" is governed by a Board of Directors which is consist of 16 representatives from its member agencies:
*Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA)
*Solano Transportation Authority (STA)
*Yolo County Transportation District (YCTD)
*Sacramento Regional Transit District (Sac RT)
*San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)
*Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

Equipment

The "Capitol Corridor" and its administration agency, the CCJPA, are responsible for the maintenance of the Amtrak California's Northern California fleet, which is used by both the "Capitol Corridor" and the "San Joaquin" routes.

When the Capitol Corridor debuted in 1991, the equipment used were Amtrak F40PH locomotives and Amtrak Horizon Fleet cars. Dash 8 locomotives were also used as they were brand new at the time. This equipment was used until the mid 1990s when most of the current state-purchased equipment arrived.

The current Northern California fleet includes fourteen EMD F59PHI locomotives (Numbered 2001 through 2015), and two GE P32-8WH (Dash 8) locomotives (Numbered 2051 & 2052, formerly Amtrak 501 & 502), and a large number of bi-level coaches and café cars which are dubbed as "California Cars". All cars are named after the many mountains and rivers of California. There are two series of California Cars, the 6000 series and the 8000 series, with the 6000 series being newer. Standard Amtrak equipment such as the GE P42DC, Amtrak's main locomotive, standard Amtrak Dash 8 locomotives, and Superliner cars may appear on Capitol Corridor trains as substitutes.

In rarer cases, F59PHI's from the Amtrak "Surfliner" and "Cascades" trains, and Caltrain EMD F40PH and MPI MP36PH-3C locomotives have been used as substitutes. Caltrain engines will usually only be seen pulling a Capitol Corridor train when they are being taken to San Jose after maintenance performed in the Oakland rail yard.

References

External links

* [http://www.amtrakcapitols.com/ "Capitol Corridor"]
* [http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321355&ssid=132 Amtrak - "Capitol Corridor"]