Fall 2004 Vol 1 No 1

Take the Train to the Game A Sweet Deal for Hey CAL fans, do you hate game day traffic more than you hate Stanford? Then take the train to CAL Capitol Corridor Riders football games this year! Coach Tedford and the Golden Bears are poised to once again make it to the Maybe you’ve noticed our bright blue car covered with gigantic postseason after last season’s Insight Bowl victory scoops of ice cream on trains this summer. We just couldn’t resist against Virginia Tech. Enjoy great college football, announcing one sweet deal for our passengers — Kids Ride Free on awesome views of the Bay Area, and the spirit and Weekends! This fall is the perfect time to get away for some great tradition of Memorial Stadium. Home games include family fun. Take the train to a football game and spend an afternoon New Mexico State, UCLA, Arizona State University, cheering on the California Golden Bears. Or, get your thrills on the Oregon, and Stanford. roller coasters at Six Flags Marine World and Great America. Go Getting to the stadium play at ZEUM, or Children’s Discovery Museum, two great interac- from Capitol Corridor is tive museums designed for kids. easy. Take Capitol Corridor When you take the train you’ll get there relaxed, stress free, and to the Richmond station and well fed. Each Capitol Corridor train has a Café Car for snacks and transfer to BART by walking, or taking the elevator, down- beverages. stairs. You can purchase discounted BART tickets And since Kids Ride Free on Weekends, you’ll get there with aboard Capitol Corridor trains in the Café Car. BART more money in your pockets too. will drop you off at the Downtown Berkeley station. For more information about Kids Ride Free on Weekends or The stadium is an easy 10-minute walk through other great destinations, visit www.capitolcorridor.org. Some campus, or you can catch the Bear Express, a free restrictions may apply. shuttle to the stadium. Stay tuned for updates on “Capitol Corridor Day” at CAL on our website. For more information, visit the Capitol Corridor website www.capitolcorridor.org or check out www.calbears.com.

Santa Cruz Metro – A New Way to get to the Beach Thanks to the new Santa Cruz Metro Highway 17 Express Bus Service, getting between San Jose and Santa Cruz is much more convenient. The transfer of San Jose-Santa Cruz Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach service to Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District’s Highway 17 Express bus service provides expanded service levels, increased connections to the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin train lines, and lowers bus From left to right, CCJPA’s Eugene Skoropowski, David Kutrosky, Priscilla fares for Capitol Corridor passengers. Kalugdan, and Mari Hirabayashi continued on page 5

In This Issue Wi-Fi Expansion Getaway to Monterey School Group Discounts page 4 page 3 page 5 Upcoming Events

OCTOBER Holiday Tree Lighting, Oakland Spookomotive, Sacramento On Friday, November 26 join the official lighting of the Jack Halloween-themed “Spookomotive” trains run October 16–31. London Square holiday tree. From noon to 8pm there will be live Join the “skeleton crew” for a fun 40-minute, 6-mile roundtrip ride entertainment, an arts & crafts fair, and family fun. For more infor- along the Sacramento River. Contact the California State Railroad mation, visit www.jacklondonsquare.com/eventsframe.html Museum for more information at (916) 445-6645 or online at How to get there: Take Capitol Corridor to the Oakland Station. Jack London Square is just two blocks away. www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org How to get there: Take Capitol Corridor to the Sacramento Station. The station is just a block from Old Town Sacramento and the California State Railroad DECEMBER Museum. Follow the signs from the platform to Old Sacramento. Lighted Yacht Parade, Oakland Sacramento Art & Wine Festival The Encinal Yacht Club with the support of the Oakland Yacht Right in the heart of Sacramento on Capitol Mall, the Club will be sponsoring the Lighted Yacht Parade on Saturday, Sacramento Art & Wine Festival features the work of 200 Northern December 11th. Starting at 5pm decorated yachts parade down California artisians as well as a wine garden, kids’ activities, and the estuary. Jack London Square has one of the best views for live music. The festival takes place the weekend of October 9–10 watching this great show. For more information, visit: www.jack- and is free to the public. For times and more information, visit londonsquare.com/eventsframe www.sacfestival.com How to get there: Take Capitol Corridor to the Oakland Station. Jack London Square is just two blocks away. How to get there: Take Capitol Corridor to the Sacramento station. Capitol Mall is a short walk from the train station. Open House, Tree Lighting, Children’s Parade, Davis Arboretum Plant Faire, Davis Enjoy some holiday cheer in Downtown Davis December 2 The UC Davis Arboretum is a public garden with over 4,000 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm. Listen to local musical groups, take a kinds of trees and plants, as well as a living museum. At the Plant free carriage ride, and meet Santa Claus at this annual free event. Faire on Saturday, October 2, a variety of beautiful plants will be For more information, visit www.davisdowntown.com or call available for sale from 10:00 am – 4:00pm. For more information, (530) 756-8763. visit www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu How to get there: Take the train to Davis. From the station, walk along G street and throughout downtown Davis to partake in the festivities. How to get there: Take Capitol Corridor to Davis. Take the A line on Unitrans to Shields Library. The Arboretum is just a few blocks walk from the library. Take Unitrans for free with Capitol Corridor’s Transit Transfer program. Just ask the train conductor for a 2-part Transit Transfer, which will get you on the bus for free, both ways.

NOVEMBER The Great Wine Escape Weekend, Monterey The Monterey County Vintners’ Association shows off its Did You Know…? members’ wines during this full weekend, November 11-14. • You can get real time updates on the website at Events include a wine-pairing seminar and luncheon, winemaker www.capitolcorridor.org? dinners, tastings, open houses, and Monterey wine country tours. • $10 BART tickets are available for sale on board in Visit the website for a detailed schedule www.montereywines.org the Café Car for only $8? How to get there: Take Capitol Corridor to the San Jose Station and transfer to a Metro Highway 17 Express bus.. • Amtrak has a Guest Rewards program where you could be earning points toward travel and entertain- Capitol Corridor Day at CAL Football ment deals every time you ride the train? Come cheer on the California Golden Bears as they battle • Our CC Rail Mail newsletter can be delivered to your Division rival Oregon on November 6 at Memorial stadium in e-mail inbox to keep you abreast of all upcoming Berkeley. Capitol Corridor riders will be able to buy reserved news and events? Visit our website to join. tickets for the game. For more information on taking Capitol • Free Transit Transfers are available for easy transfer to Corridor to Cal Football games, visit www.capitolcorridor.org local connecting services? Just ask your conductor. How to get there: Take Capitol Corridor to the Richmond Station and then trans- • Other great travel tips and more information about fer to BART by walking, or taking the elevator, downstairs. Buy discounted BART taking Capitol Corridor is available on the website, tickets aboard Capitol Corridor trains in the Café Car. BART will drop you off at the Downtown Berkeley station. The stadium is an easy 10-minute walk through www.capitolcorridor.org the beautiful Cal campus, or you can catch the Bear Express, a free shuttle to the stadium from the BART station Getaway this weekend to Monterey

The magnificent Monterey Peninsula has been called the greatest Some great activities you can enjoy in meeting of land, sea, and sky and serves as an ideal vacation or Monterey include: business destination. This beautiful seaside community offers the Bike Rentals charm of small town America, but provides a wealth of activities to Outlet Shopping keep you entertained. With historic Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Wax Museum Row, seventeen world-class golf courses, the world’s best aquarium, Old Time Portraits a unique variety of shops and galleries and a spectacular assortment Hot-Air Balloon rides of parks and natural areas there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Glass-bottom boat rides Whale Watching tours Monterey is a relaxing place for your next getaway, and you won’t Monterey Art Museum even have to stray too far from home! Monterey County Youth Museum It’s easy to get to Monterey. Take Capitol Corridor to the San Jose Wine tasting station. From there you can transfer to Metro HIghway 17 Express Vision Quest Ranch – Safari Bed and Breakfast Service to one of the Monterey locations, or to Salinas. Some of our favorite places are: Cannery Row Get to the Bay Area on BART www.canneryrow.com Specialty shops, great restaurants, nightclubs and The Richmond Intermodal Station makes traveling around the Bay beautiful hotels. During summer months look for signs Area a snap! directing you to take the free WAVE visitor shuttle True to our tagline “Travel made Simple”, Capitol Corridor is connecting Cannery Row and downtown Monterey. proud to announce that with so many transit connections, traveling throughout the Bay Area has never been easier. Fisherman’s Wharf The Amtrak platform at the Richmond Intermodal Station www.montereywharf.com connects directly to the BART concourse for a hassle free connec- Come here to dine on incredible seafood or go on a tion. Simply take the Capitol Corridor train to the Richmond station, whale-watching tour. disembark on the platform and use the stairs or the elevator to (At the end of Alvarado Street) descend into the BART station. It is that easy! Monterey, CA 93940 Gene Skoropowski, Managing Director of the Capitol Corridor, Sea Life Tours states, “The Richmond Station is quickly becoming one of our busiest stations, because it is so easy to transfer from a Capitol www.baywatchcruises.com Corridor train to a BART train. Travelers have never had such a Tour the bay in a glass-bottomed boat. convenient way to get to San Francisco before.” 90 Old Fisherman’s Wharf Plus, as a travel bonus, you can buy your BART ticket on board Monterey, CA 93940 any Café Car at a discounted price. A $10 ticket costs only $8! 800-200-2203 Remember –taking the Capitol Corridor and BART is the easiest Monterey Bay Aquarium way to get to SFO or the Oakland airport as well! For more informa- www.mbayaq.org tion visit www.bart.gov or the Capitol Corridor website. See sharks, dolphins and all sorts of marine life at the Aquarium! Open 9:30 am – 6:00 pm daily 886 Cannery Row Monterey, California 93940 831-648-4888 Vision Quest Ranch www.wildthingsinc.com Bed and Breakfast…safari style! Listen to the lions and tigers roaring only yards from your African tent style bungalow. Wake to a continental breakfast deliv- ered to your tent (often by animal friends). 400 River Road Salinas, CA 93908 800-228-7382 Go Wireless! Expanded Wi-Fi SP T Service Coming Soon T APITOL C ORRIDOR We know you’ve been waiting to get online while aboard Capitol Frequently C Corridor trains, and soon you’ll be among the first rail passengers in Asked O the nation to try wireless internet (Wi-Fi) service on board passenger Questions H trains. PointShot has How do I use Wi-Fi? been partnering with All you need is a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop Capitol Corridor since computer, or PDA, to access the broadband October of 2003 and wireless service. Wi-fi cards are fairly inexpensive has been able to and are available at most office and computer extend their initial supply stores, as well as online. Some providers three month trial for will have tech support representatives on board quite some time. for assistance, or you may visit their company Several new wireless websites to get details on how to begin. internet providers How much does it cost to use? have approached Fees will vary by provider, so be sure to check Capitol Corridor to expand the trial program so that cars in all 7 our website for information on usage fees. You trainsets are expected to be Wi-Fi enabled. may also check on board signage and fliers This ongoing pilot program offers Internet access to Capitol about the Wi-Fi services. Corridor passengers — allowing them first-time high-quality access Why do you have so many Wi-Fi to e-mail, the Internet, corporate intranets, instant messaging, and providers? digital entertainment while in transit. In the next ten years, we think that wireless connectivity in most This is a pilot program, and we are testing the services of several providers so that we may offer locations, including trains, will be standard. But right now, the tech- the best possible Wi-Fi service. Before the end of nology and business models involved in bringing wireless internet the testing period, the Capitol Corridor Joint aboard a moving train are so new that internet providers still have Powers Authority, Amtrak, and the California much to learn about the process. For this reason we have “volun- Department of Transportation will select a Wi-Fi teered” the Capitol Corridor to be a testing ground for everything provider to install and operate the service on the about mobile Wi-Fi service. We even have a representative from entire State-funded Intercity train service by Central Japan Railways visiting to observe the process! As a conse- Spring of 2005. quence, we are all testing this together. Please be prepared for small Which trains will have Wi-Fi? inconsistencies, bumps, and hiccups, as we go through the process. Visit www.capitolcorridor.org for up-to-date In about six months the trial will end and a permanent Wi-Fi solu- schedule information about Wi-Fi availability. The tion will be announced. We welcome your feedback during this trial schedule will show which train numbers offer Wi- run and you can let us know what you think of the various Wi-Fi Fi service for the next several days. Schedules do providers by signing the Wi-Fi guestbook on our website. Visit change due to mechanical and equipment issues, www.capitolcorridor.org for more information about Wi-Fi on so be sure to check often. Capitol Corridor.

Martinez Amtrak Station Honored Martinez Intermodal Rail Station has received a prestigious Merit Award winner in the Intermodal Transportation Facilities category as part of the Federal Highway Administration Excellence in Highway Design competition. The Martinez Station project was cited by FHWA for increasing transit access and parking for intercity rail passengers and preparing for potential commuter and light rail connections. Amtrak Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin and national long distance trains serve the Martinez station daily. Introducing the Next Generation to Train Travel: Train Treks

Looking for a fun and inexpensive school or youth group field trip? Use Capitol Corridor’s Train Treks program - it’s a great way to introduce children and students to modern rail service. The Capitol Corridor provides convenient, frequent daily round trips to many fun Northern California destinations. Kids (kindergarten though high school), teachers, and youth groups can ride anywhere along the Capitol Corridor route for as low as $5 per person, round trip. The Capitol Corridor route is broken into 3 segments or zones. Travel within each zone costs $5 roundtrip per person (adult or youth). Round trip from one zone to the next costs $10. Round-trip travel through all three zones costs $15. Train Treks groups are welcome on many of our trains! To make your Train Treks reservation, visit Capitol Corridor’s website to download the fax reservation forms and to find schedule informa- tion. Some restrictions do apply.

Sample Fares

Oakland to Sacramento $5 per person (Within Zone 2) round trip Roseville to Emeryville/San Francisco Pier 39 $10 per person (Zone 1 to Zone 2) round trip

Ticket Tips: How to Save Time & $$$ Santa Cruz, continued from cover You can purchase an all-inclusive Amtrak Time & Money – wouldn’t you like to save a little of both? Now rail-bus ticket for connections between the Capitol Corridor can help! Here are a few of our favorite tips for Capitol Corridor or San Joaquin services and helping you save time and money on tickets. the Metro Highway 17 Express bus service. • A Ten-Ride/45-day Ticket is a great way to save money – it offers Or, pay the bus fare directly by putting cash 10 discounted one-way trips, valid for 45 days. into the bus fare box or purchasing Santa • An Unlimited Monthly ticket is another money saver – valid during Cruz Metro passes. the calendar month for which it is issued, you get unlimited rides For more information about Santa Cruz between stations named on the ticket (or intermediate stations Metro, visit www.scmtd.com between the two locations). All multi-ride tickets are available at staffed Amtrak stations, QUIK-TRAK ticket vending machines or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL to order tickets. • QUIK-TRAK machines in most stations and online booking at www.amtrak.com from home or work makes your train trip easier and helps save time in the station. • You can also save money on tickets if you are a Student Advantage Member, AAA member, senior, military veteran or on furlough, or are traveling with children. For more information$ on these tips visit www.capitolcorridor.org or call 1-800-USA-RAIL. Looking Ahead

Emeryville Station Platform and Track Upgrades Sacramento to Roseville Track Improvement Project We are working with Amtrak, the city of Emeryville, and the In order to extend more Capitol Corridor trains to serve Union Pacific Railroad to improve the tracks and platforms serving Roseville, Rocklin and Auburn, the CCJPA is working with Union the Emeryville station. The plans are complete, but the funding for Pacific Railroad to improve the rail corridor between Sacramento construction of this entire project has been delayed. Capitol and Auburn. These improvements will result in increased track Corridor was able to secure funds to construct the first phase of capacity to accommodate more Capitol Corridor trains as well as improvements, which should be complete by Spring 2005. The reduce travel times and improve on-time reliability in this segment. goals of this project include improving the passenger traffic at this This project will be implemented as soon as construction funds station, and reconfigured tracks to improve on-time performance. are available. Oakland Maintenance Facility The State of California and Amtrak are jointly funding the construction of a major new maintenance facility in Oakland, to Take Capitol Corridor to Paris, replace the inadequate and antiquated facilities currently in use. France This project will provide modern facilities for daily servicing, repair, and overhaul of the Capitol Corridor train equipment as well as Capitol Corridor passenger Lee Ferrier discov- other passenger rail equipment used in this area. You can expect ered Capitol Corridor could take him and his cleaner trains and better on-time performance as a result. Also, wife all the way to Paris, France! Lee signed up locomotives will be maintained in Oakland, not shipped to Los for the Amtrak Rapid Rewards program almost Angeles as they have been. Construction on this facility began in four years ago, and has been accumulating his early Spring 2003, with completion slated for November 2004. An miles ever since. Using the 80,000 miles he opening ceremony is tentatively scheduled for sometime in acquired by daily trips on the Capitol Corridor, October 2004. Stay tuned. he was able to trade in those miles for two tickets Oakland/San Jose Track on Alaska Airlines and take his first trip to Paris. Capitol Corridor is working with Union Pacific Railroad, Lee and his wife spent three weeks in France Altamont Commuter Express and Caltrain to implement a major soaking up the picturesque sites. For part of their program of track improvements between Oakland and San Jose. trip, they traveled by train to Spain and visited Construction has begun and will continue through 2004. More Bilbao and Barcelona. Returning to Paris the trains, improved on-time reliability, and reduced travel times will Louvre and Picasso museums were among some result from this work. However, the primary purpose of this project of the sites they toured. is to allow for an increase in Capitol Corridor train service to San You can still find Lee on the train every week, Jose. At initial build-out, this project will allow for up to 14 Capitol using the 45 day ten-ride ticket he purchases to Corridor trains per day to operate between Oakland and San accumulate more miles towards his next vacation. Jose. To sign up for Amtrak Rapid Rewards and This project also paves the way for a new Intercity Train Station make the miles you travel on the Capitol Corridor at Oakland Coliseum. This will be the the second Capitol Corridor count towards car rentals, hotels, and airline station to have a direct intermodal connection with BART and will also serve the Oakland International Airport (via existing AirBART miles as well as various retail stores such as shuttle buses and future BART Oakland Airport Connector), as 2Macy’s or Barnes & Noble, please visit well as sporting/entertainment events at the Oakland Coliseum www.amtrakguestrewards.com. Who knows? complex. The new Oakland Coliseum Intercity Train Station is After riding Capitol Corridor you just may find expected to open in the Spring of 2005. yourself in France!

The Capitol Corridor Connection is the pasenger Thomas E. Margro Executive Director, CCJPA publication of The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) Eugene Skoropowski CCJPA Managing Director 101 Eighth Street - MET 2, Oakland, CA 94604 Graphic Design by Flint Graphics e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.capitolcorridor.org Material may be reproduced if appropriate credit is given