Capitol Corridor's ridership dipped in August following bounce in July

Ridership on California's Capitol Corridor trains fell 2.2 percent to 143,080 passengers in August compared with August 2012 — a result that may have been caused by a one-week closure of the Bay Bridge late in the month.

Revenue for the month slipped slightly, by 0.7 percent, according to a monthly ridership report from the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA). The ridership dip followed a bounce in July.

An initial evaluation of conductor counts indicated that ridership for the month was even with the year-ago period during the first 3.5 weeks of August, but dropped when the Bay Bridge was closed for its final cutover to the eastern span as part of a construction project, the CCJPA report states.

Capitol Corridor's on-time performance improved to 96 percent during the month, keeping it "as the most reliable train service in the Amtrak system," said CCJPA Managing Director David Kutrosky in the report.

Meanwhile, the State Budget Act of 2012 for fiscal-year 2013-14 includes a revised total of $108.9 million for operation of the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin and Pacific Surfliner trains, up from the initial budget amount of $90.3 million. The CCJPA is now working with Amtrak to complete its FY2014 operating contract and budget for the Capitol Corridor service, said Kutrosky.