California passenger-rail agencies form advocacy coalition

The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency and San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) this week announced the formation of California's Intercity Rail Corridors Linking Everyone (CIRCLE), an advocacy coalition. 

The coalition will seek to educate federal policymakers on the nature of Amtrak state-supported services, raise awareness of California's growing passenger-rail system and proposed capital investments, and build stronger relationships with national intercity rail stakeholders.

"We look forward to working together with our sister agencies to raise awareness about our growing rail corridor services and the important role our state plays in maintaining Amtrak’s state-supported services," said Donna DeMartino, managing director of LOSSAN, in a news release.

Over the past four decades, California has invested more than $3.2 billion in improving its intercity passenger-rail network. Pre-pandemic, one out of every five Amtrak riders boarded a train in California.

The Capitol Corridor route provides service between San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento and Auburn, and is managed by the CCJPA; the Pacific Surfliner route provides service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, and is managed by the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency; and the San Joaquins route provides service between Bakersfield, Oakland and Sacramento, and is managed by the SJJPA.

Combined, the three routes carried over 5.6 million passengers throughout California in fiscal-year 2019, and the corridors all respectively rank in the nation's top 10 in ridership.