Capitol Corridor marks ridership increase in July

Ridership on California's Capitol Corridor rose 2.3 percent in July to 140,533 compared with July 2012, marking the first year-over-year increase in fiscal-year 2013, according to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA).

Year-to-date ridership is now 2.9 percent below last year. Revenue slipped 0.1 percent in July compared with a year ago, while year-to-date revenue is down 0.8 percent, CCJPA Managing Director David Kutrosky said in his monthly report.

The service has returned to the No. 1 spot for on-time performance (OTP) in the Amtrak system, with a July OTP of 94 percent and year-to-date OTP of 95 percent.

Although detailed data is not yet available for June or July, daily conductor counts transmitted from e-Ticket readers showed a spike in ridership during the five-day Bay Area Rapid Transit strike in early July.

"While the ridership increase for July 2013 can be considered a positive step forward, we will see if this ridership increase can be sustained," Kutrosky said.

Meanwhile, ridership on the Pacific Surfliner service climbed 2 percent and ticket revenue jumped 7 percent in July compared with a year ago. Ridership on the San Joaquin service soared 12 percent and ticket revenue rose 7 percent during the month, according to the report.