Passenger Trains > Amtrak will have a new boss on the San Joaquins, July 1

Valley agency takes control of Amtrak San Joaquin trains
Fresno Bee
by Tim Sheehan
June 26, 2015

> Amtrak’s San Joaquin rail line, the fifth-busiest passenger-train
> corridor in the U.S., will be under new management starting
> Wednesday (July 1).
>
> Control of the San Joaquin trains, which last year carried almost 1.2
> million passengers, is being assumed by the San Joaquin Joint Powers
> Authority. The authority, formed about two years ago to increase
> local control over the service, is taking over from the California
> Department of Transportation’s Division of Rail. The agency is made
> up of representatives from counties and regional transportation
> agencies along the train’s route between Bakersfield, Oakland and
> Sacramento.
>
> Passengers who ride the trains on either an occasional or regular
> basis are unlikely to notice any difference in the travel experience,
> because Amtrak will continue to run the trains under an operating
> contract. And while Caltrans will keep providing the money to support
> the service, the oversight and policymaking will become the
> responsibility of the regional authority. The authority has
> contracted with the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission — which
> operates the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) trains between Stockton
> and San Jose — to handle day-to-day operational supervision and
> administration.
>
> But the authority — grown from the seeds of discontent with Caltrans’
> slow response to regional concerns — does have plans for improving
> train service in the Valley.
>
> “There’s no question, it’s a valuable and needed service in the
> Valley, and that’s shown by the numbers of more than a million folks
> a year riding the train,” said Fresno County Supervisor Henry R.
> Perea, one of the new authority’s two vice chairmen. “We’re giving it
> more of a local focus. For Caltrans, this was just one piece in a
> very big organization. We have more of a vested interest.”
>
> One of the first orders of business will be to establish a
> long-sought additional train to the roster of 12 daily trains — six
> northbound, six southbound — that have been offered since 2002. Of
> the six daily round trips, four run between Bakersfield and Oakland,
> while the other two run between Bakersfield and Sacramento.
>
> “One of the big challenges, especially for business travelers, is
> that it’s difficult to get from Fresno to Alameda or Sacramento by 8
> a.m. to do business,” Perea said. “We’re looking at a new train
> starting mid-run, Merced to Alameda, to arrive by 8 a.m.” The
> authority’s business plan calls for that new train to begin service
> in late 2015 or early 2016. Yet another train starting mid-run
> heading south, most likely from Fresno, would come sometime in the
> future...

More:

Valley agency takes control of Amtrak San Joaquin trains

 

Thanks Gene, I couldn't copy/move the article.

Why not an overnight train from LA to OAK/SAC via the valley?

I wonder if the BNSF and UP have been consulted on this new train.  Nothing is going to happen with it unless both of them agree to it.

amtrakbill Wrote:
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> Why not an overnight train from LA to OAK/SAC via
> the valley?

That would not survive the "laugh" test here.  In any case, the railroads wouldn't operate it.

sums007 Wrote:
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> I wonder if the BNSF and UP have been consulted on
> this new train.  Nothing is going to happen with
> it unless both of them agree to it.

UP would largely be subject to the capacity allowances that have already been agreed to on the Capitol Corridor for passenger trains.

The model for service expansion is clear:  when Caltrans managed the Capitol Corridor, it offered 4 daily roundtrips.  With regional agency management, service increased to 15 daily roundtrips.  There is plenty of money for capital improvements.  What has been missing since the last frequency upgrade (in 2002) is leadership from Caltrans.  There's no guarantee that the regional folks will do any better, but they may be more creative.  We'll see.

The capital projects necessary for an additional round trip are completed and/or underway. 

It takes at least two hours to go from Mojave to Bakersfield on the existing, 1876-built, line...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

I would love to see a train from Fresno to Alameda, but the Alameda Belt Line tracks have been ripped out, homes built over the old right-of-way, and the Fruitvale Bridge track leads are severed.  Oh well, try that again, new regional adminstrators.

ThumbsUp Wrote:
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> The capital projects necessary for an additional
> round trip are completed and/or underway. 

Good.  What would they be, specifically?

Wonderful.  Once again a bunch of suit-wearing, non-train riding executives take over another rail line.  Couln't be any worse than what's happened to Southern Cal, Metrolink, etc.

reindeerflame Wrote:
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> amtrakbill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why not an overnight train from LA to OAK/SAC
> via
> > the valley?
>
> That would not survive the "laugh" test here.  In
> any case, the railroads wouldn't operate it.

Might wanna rethink that. When UP took over the SP, they inherited the contract with Amtrak as well. There is a built in round trip over tehachapi that Amtrak could enforce if they decide to, but as of yet have not done that. for whatever reason. Most likely equipment. In any case, a late night BFD to LAUPT trip has been talked about for some time now, and could still happen. Stay tuned kids. These new guys are total assholes, and will for sure destroy the service, in order to get ACE in the door to operate it, and kick Amtrak out.

whistlepig Wrote:
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> Wonderful.  Once again a bunch of suit-wearing,
> non-train riding executives take over another rail
> line.  Couln't be any worse than what's happened
> to Southern Cal, Metrolink, etc.

This, of course, is a fascinating comment.  The major reason all of these new services came about in the first place is because of the suit-wearers.  If we had relied on the union rank and file, or Amtrak, there would be no San Joaquins for the new management team to "take over".