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On Wednesday, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced San Joaquin intercity passenger-rail service on Amtrak set a ridership record for the four-month period between Nov. 1, 2009, and Feb. 28, 2010. More than 310,000 riders boarded San Joaquin trains, up 6.6 percent compared with ridership from the same 2008-09 period.    

California Amtrak routes log about 5 million passengers annually, accounting for more than 20 percent of the national intercity passenger railroad’s ridership. Since 1990, the state has spent more than $1.3 billion on infrastructure and equipment improvements, and provided about $1 billion in operating support for intercity passenger rail.

In partnership with Amtrak, Caltrans provides passenger-rail services on the Pacific Surfliner, Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin routes. The Pacific Surfliner connects San Luis Obispo with San Diego via Santa Barbara and Los Angeles; Capitol Corridor links the San Francisco Bay Area with Sacramento and Auburn; and San Joaquin serves the Central Valley, linking L.A. and Bakersfield with Sacramento and the Bay Area.