June 11, 2007 10:00 ET

Capitol Corridor Continues to Break Ridership Records

May 2007 Highest Ridership in History of Service

OAKLAND, CA--(Marketwire - June 11, 2007) - The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) has announced that May 2007 marked the highest monthly ridership total in the history of the Capitol Corridor service with 141,789 passengers, surpassing the previous record set in April 2007 with 127,572 passengers.

With 32 trains a day between Sacramento and the Bay Area, and 14 daily direct trains to San Jose, the Capitol Corridor service provides a convenient alternative to traveling along the congested I-80, I-880, and I-680 freeways. And with comfortable seats, connections to BART, and a Café Car on every train, it's hard to find a more convenient way to travel around Northern California.

"Californians have discovered the convenience of train travel. On the Capitol Corridor you'll find business travelers working on laptops, college students catching up on sleep, school groups on field trips, families playing cards, and groups of commuters having happy hour," said Eugene Skoropowski, CCJPA Managing Director. "For people who value how they spend their time, the train offers a better alternative than sitting in traffic."

The Capitol Corridor seems to be on the right track. Fiscal year-to-date ridership has increased 13.3% due to eight consecutive months of substantial growth, and revenue has also increased 21.7% during the same time period. This positive trend can be attributed to the introduction of a 32 train schedule last fall and targeted marketing aimed at filling seats on trains with available capacity.

CCJPA Chair Forrest Williams is quick to point out that Capitol Corridor's service partners deserve credit for helping to achieve record ridership numbers. "Union Pacific has made a commitment to improve the on-time performance of the Capitol Corridor trains, which are dispatched by Union Pacific employees; and Amtrak has made an effort to ensure that the trains are running with full consists -- maximizing the number of seats available on trains."

The Capitol Corridor train service was made possible by Californians who voted to provide capital funding for passenger rail service. With no federal funding program to call upon, the Capitol Corridor was built and operates solely with state and local funds. The investment of public funds into intercity rail has paid off, as the Capitol Corridor is the third busiest Amtrak-operated route in the country -- and growing.

When CCJPA began managing the service in 1998, there were eight daily trains and 463,000 passengers annually. Today, just eight years later, nearly 1.4 million passengers ride the Capitol Corridor annually.

"Most would agree that this investment has proven to be very worthwhile, and we have delivered what was promised. This is evident with the growing popularity of the Capitol Corridor. Along with this growth comes the need for additional equipment like more train cars, so that we can sustain growth and continue to give Californians frequent, reliable and convenient intercity rail service," said Skoropowski.

About CCJPA

The Capitol Corridor began service in December of 1991 under management by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). In July 1998, the management of the service was transferred to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), who has managed the route for the last nine years. CCJPA oversees the service with day-to-day management support from the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART). The CCJPA partners with Amtrak, Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans and the communities comprising the CCJPA to offer cost-effective, viable and safe intercity passenger rail service.

About Capitol Corridor

Capitol Corridor intercity rail serves 16 stations along a 170-mile rail corridor, and offers a convenient way to travel between the Sierra Foothills, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley/San Jose. For information, visit www.capitolcorridor.org or call 1-877-9-RIDECC.