RailPAC: Rail Passenger Association of CA & NV

News and a Photo from the Capitol Corridor

Gene Skropowski, the Capitol Corridor Managing Director, replied to RailPAC regarding the photo story about the group traveling to Sacramento from Davis (below the meeting notice) and gave us an advanced look at other important Corridor news including the latest statistics from the other California corridors. NEW Photo added!

davis-station-capitol.jpg
Westbound Capitol train 737 arrives on time with a five-car train at the Davis station on a sunny Sunday, March 11, 2007. After picking up passengers, the doors started to close when the power was lost from Amtrak locomotive 73. Ten minutes later it was restarted and resumed its journey to the Bay Area. Just another routine day on the Capitol Corridor. (Photo by Russ Jackson)

We thank Gene Skoropowski for all the information below; he is a very responsive executive, and we all appreciate that!

  • (Re the photo story of the group riders) “This is the first I heard of this situation. The only thing I can make of it is that at the time this group wanted to travel to Sacramento (which would have been our train #526), on March 2, train #526 was not running, as it was one of the cancelled trains during the track rebuilding program between Benicia and Pinole. The Capitol Corridor reservation desk actually has full time folks who book group trips, and we do a very good business filling empty seats on trains with available capacity. We had groups travelling on some trains, even during the track work period.

    “I don’t know where the information for this story came from, but it sure isn’t correct. And when groups are booked on the Capitol Corridor trains, they DO sit together, usually in a reserved car, just for the group.”

  • Here is an advance on the February stats:

    “We had barely 70 percent on time. We had a major track rehab program. We cancelled 8 of the 32 weekday trains to accommodate the trackwork project. And we still grew riders by 15 percent and revenue by 22 percent. Go figure! I shudder to think of the demand when on-time performance improves.”

    Summary of February ridership and ticket revenue results:

    Capitol Corridor

    · 103,666 passengers +15.9% vs. FY06 and a record for the month

    · $1,278,488 ticket revenue +22.4% vs. FY06

    Pacific Surfliner

    · 182,964 passengers -3.3% vs. FY06

    · $2,868,601 ticket revenue +2.3% vs. FY06

    San Joaquins

    · 52,809 passengers -4.9% vs. FY06

    · $1,586,189 ticket revenue +4.3% vs. FY06

  • The CC Riders Group passed along a message received from Gene on March 7, 2007, following a meeting the riders had with Mr. Skoropowski on board Capitol train 536, where issues of interest to riders were discussed. CCRiders members received this message from Chuck Roebuck, their President. Because it contains some interesting news, we are reprinting it here.

    • ON-TIME PERFORMANCE: “We had a meeting with UP vice president yesterday and UP indicated that all local freights during daylight hours are being changed to work after 6 pm, and that only 4 freights will be allowed to operate between 5.30 am and 6 p.m and that these freights will be be their ‘hot’ trains that are running thru to Chicago or wherever. Assuming this plan will work, we should see our on-time performance get back to 90 percent or better.

    CLEANLINESS OF TRAINS: “Gene and AMTRAK have notified the clean up crews of the issues raised during the meeting regarding the cleanliness of restrooms, floors and overhead bins and have directed that corrective action be taken.”

    Gene urged the riders to email him anytime they have a problem.

    Russ Jackson