Passenger Trains > Capitol Corridor: 1st Qtr. Performance

The State ofCalifornia runs the CAPITOL CORRIDOR service between San Jose and Auburn, CA, servicing major SF Bay Area and Sacramento area cities.  The entire run is on UP rails, using both CA and AMTRAK equipment.

Recently, the CC service took delivery of their new SIEMENS' CHARGER diesel units.  While some of the older EMD units remain, more and more of the trains are being given to the CHARGERS.  

There has also been a huge increase in the SF area homeless / bum / drug user population living along the tracks.

With all that in mind, here are the causes for train delays for the 1st 3 months:

MECHANICAL:  33 times
CONGESTION / FREIGHT TRAIN BLOCKAGE:  27 times
BRIDGE OPENINGS:  24 times
LATE (no reason):  19 times
POLICE ACTIVITY:  18 times
TRAIN TERMINATED (usually mechanical break down or just way too late):  12 times
SIGNAL PROBLEMS:  10 times
TRACKS BLOCKED (suicide / vehicles / trash on track):  10 times

TOTAL DELAYS FOR 90 DAYS:  153
TRAINS DELAYED PER DAY:  1.7

Note:  
--some trains experienced multiple types of delays on 1 run, even to the point of being terminated, then transfering passengers to the next train.  All in all, not good.
--mechanical delays are up since the new CHARGER units began operating.
--freight train interference has gone up, as has police activity.

It seems more effort must be made to bring back the consistent reliability of this servce.  The COVID pandemic has helped soften the delays, given the low ridership numbers.

Coach


 

Agree.  While these statistics do not indicate total minutes of delay (10 minutes as not is bad as 1-1/2 hours) the number of delays appear to have risen while the total number of CC trains operated during the pandemic is down.  Bridge delays (maritime traffic) are particularly frustrating, ranging from 10 minutes to 45 minutes.  Occasionally, I believe the Corridor people will talk with the Coast Guard, who then asks the shipping lines to try to avoid bridge openings during commute hours, and that sees to improve the situation for a while.  Some of the train terminations occur after trespasser incidents.  The number of freight train delays has been a problem for at least a couple of years it would seem.  On a double track railroad and mostly with CTC, except Oakland to San Jose, one wonders how the dispatcher has so much trouble keeping scheduled CC trains from encountering freight congestion issues.

Talking to the Coast Guard won't do anything because they don't have any control over when the ships call for the bridge to be raised.
And per Federal and Maritime Law the ships have the right of way.

PHall Wrote:
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> Talking to the Coast Guard won't do anything
> because they don't have any control over when the
> ships call for the bridge to be raised.
> And per Federal and Maritime Law the ships have
> the right of way.

True, ships do have the ROW. And the CG may not be able to force ships, they do operate the Bay’s Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and work with the Bar Pilots. The pilots are locals who have a lot of influence on the decisions of the ship masters and are likely committed to minimizing disruption of state-supported trains.

That all being said, ships still have schedules to make as well, and have to time their arrivals & departures around the tides. Miss a navigation window and it might set them back 12 hours.

Posted from iPhone

John Wrote:
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> On a double track railroad and
> mostly with CTC, except Oakland to San Jose, one
> wonders how the dispatcher has so much trouble
> keeping scheduled CC trains from encountering
> freight congestion issues.

Speed.

Double-track is great if every train is going the same speed. Since we’re mixing freight and passenger, this line needs triple-main track, more crossovers, and/or some passing sidings.

BNSF has better on-time performance in the San Joaquin Valley because they have multiple sidings and multiple mains timed for the schedule. The Cal-P could sure use some infrastructure improvements to help velocity.

Highspeed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> John Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > On a double track railroad and
> > mostly with CTC, except Oakland to San Jose,
> one
> > wonders how the dispatcher has so much trouble
> > keeping scheduled CC trains from encountering
> > freight congestion issues.
>
> Speed.
>
> Double-track is great if every train is going the
> same speed. Since we’re mixing freight and
> passenger, this line needs triple-main track, more
> crossovers, and/or some passing sidings.
>
> BNSF has better on-time performance in the San
> Joaquin Valley because they have multiple sidings
> and multiple mains timed for the schedule. The
> Cal-P could sure use some infrastructure
> improvements to help velocity.

And there's still switching going on along stretches of the old Cal-P, which creates even more challenges for the dispatcher.  That local has to leave the cars somwhere, usually blocking one of the mains.  So while the CC trains can weave in and out through all the cross-overs that were put in 25 years ago, too many trains competing for the one open main creates plenty of headaches.  As a former rider, I'm surprised at how bad the delays are, hope they can get it ironed out before lots of people try riding again.  Bad performance will limit the number of people who stick with or even try the service.

Nathan

Nathan

The CAL-P is nowhere near as busy as it was decades ago!  Plus, it's signaled bi-directionally on both mains, with lots of crossovers.  You don't need more infrastructure;  you need good dispatching, and CORRIDOR MANAGERS who plan better.

Remember, the UP has the line all to themselves each late night / early morning.  And have a freight train leave behind the passenger train, not in front of it.  That solves alot of problems---ALOT of problems.