California’s Capitol Corridor Month Of May
Ridership, Surges 11% vs. 2007

From CCJPA

SACRAMENTO —“The May 2008 Capitol Corridor statistics from Amtrak are again an all-time record high, as are the stats on the state’s other two corridor services, with the San Joaquins taking a very big leap upward in ridership,” reports Capitol Corridor chief executive Eugene Skoropowski.

“There is no doubt that Californians have ‘discovered’ (rediscovered?) intercity trains as a real travel option (as noted in the front page Headline of the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday, June 2, 2008),” wrote Gene in a note to D:F and other infrastructure activists. “The price of gasoline is not hurting ridership, and many folks ‘are doing the math’ on the comparative costs of driving versus the train. The train is winning.”

Performance by Union Pacific has given the Capitol Corridor a better on-time performance than even Amtrak’s own premier Acela Express service on the Northeast Corridor (Acela Express was 83.8% on-time for May 2008, and 84.5% for 8 months YTD).

California Capitol Corridor (May 2008):

157,351 passengers +11.0% vs. 2007, another record for the month, and highest ridership month ever.

Passengers for 8 months YTD: 1,083,261 (8 months YTD: +13.2%)(total riders for the latest 12 months: 1,576,721)

$2,044,424 revenue +21.6% vs. 2007 (8 months YTD: +21.7%)

The farebox recovery revenue-to-cost ratio for May is 62.9%, and the year-to-date revenue-to-cost ratio is about 55%.

The on-time performance delivered to the riders for May was 90.7%, up considerably, with year-to-date on-time at 86.7%, second best in the nation. (Union Pacific performance in May was well over 92%, noted Skoropowksi, in crediting the freight railroad over whose track his trains run.

Pacific Surfliners (May 2008):

262,279 passengers +5.8% vs. 2007
Passengers for 8 months YTD: 1,790,658 (8 months YTD: +4.9%)
$4,346,269 revenue +6.2% vs. 2007 (8 months YTD: +6.1%)
On-time performance for May: 73.8%
YTD on-time: 77.6%

San Joaquins (May 2008):

91,923 passengers +21.2% vs. 2007 (8 months YTD: +12.6%)
Passengers for 8 months YTD: 580,474
$2,686,956 revenue +21.2% vs. 2007 (8 months YTD: +14.1%)
On-time performance for May: 81.4%
YTD on-time: 85.2%

Total California Intercity Corridor Ridership for May 2008: 511,553