Capitol Corridor adding more trains

[Superliner Diner]

Here's the first "sneak peek" at changes being made with the next general timetable change, taking place as of January 6, 2003:

The Capitol Corridor, whose base route is between Sacramento and Oakland (with one daily round trip running east to Auburn, and several daily round trips running south of Oakland to San Jose) will be adding two more weekday round trips.

New train 521 will depart Sacramento 4:25 AM, arrive Oakland 6:23 AM, and continue to San Jose, arriving there 7:45 AM.

New train 553 will depart Sacramento 9:10 PM, and terminate in Oakland at 11:20 PM.

Train 546 returns to the schedule; it was replaced by a late-evening Thruway bus for the past year or so. It will depart Oakland 8:15 PM and get to Sacramento at 10:25 PM.

There should be a second Sacramento-bound train added, but so far it is not evident when looking at the advance schedules. It surely will turn up before the change becomes effective, to balance the new timetable.

 

[tp49]

It should be noted that I read a post on this subject on trainorders which stated that train 553 will be a Friday only train.

 

[Superliner Diner]

It should be noted that I read a post on this subject on trainorders which stated that train 553 will be a Friday only train.

At Amtrak's own reservations site, I just put in Monday January 6th, the first day of the new timetable, and it shows 553 running, as it does every weekday. Of course Amtrak's site is itself subject to change, but for now it appears that 553 is a 5-day-a-week operation.

 

[tp49]

I would like the scheduling better if 546 originated in San Jose. As it is now the last train (or bus) out of Fremont is 6:03 PM during the week. There should be a later train or the bus from San Jose should stop at Fremont since this is the only station it does not stop at.

 

[jccollins]

Westbound Capitol Corridor Train 553 DOES appear to be a Friday-only train beginning on Friday, January 10. (Amtrak probably just recently updated the website to reflect this). This new Fridays-only train will obviously cause a great deal of confusion - the first Friday-only train on the route. I wish the CCJPA would develop a 7-day schedule that would be the same each and every day. If this is not possible, it would be nice if all Saturday and Sunday Trains and Buses ran EXACTLY one hour later than the weekday trains and buses. This would make scheduling easier to remember for everyone.

Since WB Train 553 will run on Fridays only, we might not get an additional EB train. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

tp49: It sure would be nice if eastbound weekday Capitol Train 546 originated in San Jose instead of Oakland. The same train (746) on weekends does begin in San Jose. Hopefully the increased ridership from restoring 546 back into a train will convince the CCJPA to begin the train in San Jose.

Amtrak California Bus 6603 leaving Sacramento at 11:35pm to Oakland looks like it will continue to operate as a westbound Capitol Corridor weekday bus after the January schedule changes. This used to be the 546 bus from Oakland to Sacramento once it reached Sacramento and turned around to head back to Oakland from Sacramento. If bus 546 ran late reaching Sac, the 6603 bus would be late from Sac to Oakalnd. Hopefully this bus will now keep a better schedule since it will be beginning right at Sacramento.

 

[jccollins]

Well, BAD NEWS comes with these "additions". WB weekday morning train 525 has been cut from a Sacramento -> San Jose train to a Sacramento -> Oakland train with a BUS from Oakland to San Jose. Train 525 is currently is a BUSY morning train. This BUS replacement for a portion of it will most likely ruin that.

This could mark the end of my school's annual MTZ to Great America school field trip on Amtrak (train 525), unless the school puts us on the earlier train (523) and then we have to wait in the cold outside Great America for an hour before it opens.

 

[tp49]

jc

I never realized that the 546 bus made a return trip to the Bay Area after it arrived in Sac. I always thought it layed over at Sac. I usually take 748 (renumbered from 746 at the schedule change) on Sunday as it stops at Fremont. My main gripe is that the bus for 546 stops at Great America and Hayward but not at Fremont making the 6:03 PM train the last weekday train Eastbound. This train is usually packed so if I stay over in the Bay Area into the week I usually take the 1:03 so I can actually sit down.

Normally I head southbound on 537 as it gets me into the Bay Area at a more transit friendly time.

 

[WoodenMike]

$*@! "Great America", go to the California Railroad Museum!!!

LOL!!!