Capitol Corridor hits 1 million passengers for first time since pandemic

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(FOX40.COM) – The Capitol Corridor transports thousands of riders every day getting to work, school and everything in-between. It’s the only rail service that connects Sacramento and the Bay Area to Silicon Valley and this week it celebrated a big milestone. 

The rail service celebrated its one-millionth passenger this year — a first since 2019. The one-millionth passenger was Ron Grassi.

“I really don’t know how they did the algorithm but I was actually very excited and it coincided with the fact that this past month I completed 14 years of riding Capitol Corridor,” Grassi said.

Grassi has taken the train from the Capitol City to Suisun City for more than a decade. 

“You know, the train was pointed out to me when I was actually interviewing for my positon at Solano County and if you’ve ever driven Highway 80 and occasionally, I have to do that myself, it reminds me everyday of how much I love taking the train to work,” Grassi said.

The route and mode of transportation has saved Grassi time and money on gas. For commuters across the region like Suisun City, local leaders said routes can make all the difference.

“This community is a commuter town and so we have a lot of students, a lot of individuals that work in Sacramento and San Francisco,” Mayor of Suison City Alma Hernandez said.

Capitol Corridor Managing Director Rob Padgette said the numbers reflect a promising trend in the state. In 2019, ridership was up to 1.8 million but plummeted during the pandemic. Last year, it climbed back up to 921,000, and this year over a million.

“We’re seeing people get back to work and we’re seeing people go back and have a good time again,” Padgette said.

Sporting events and concerts returning after the pandemic has brought thousands more on board.

“We carry lots of people to the 49ers game so if you haven’t tried that you might give it a shot,” Padgette said.

Riders could soon see more trains on the tracks as Capitol Corridor looks ahead to March 2025 when it aims to return to full service for the first time since before the pandemic. Full service would include added routes to Oakland and San Jose. 

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Chloe Curtis

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