(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on November 20.)
Another update on California rail ridership: State-sponsored intercity passenger-rail service ridership continued to grow on two routes last month, while passenger counts leveled off on another.
During the first month of the new federal fiscal year, ridership on the Auburn-to-San Jose Capitol Corridor totaled 157,353 — a new October record. Ridership rose 16.8 percent compared with October 2007’s total.
On the Oakland-Sacramento-Bakersfield San Joaquins, ridership rose 22.6 percent year-over-year to 79,233.
However, after several months of ridership increases, the San Diego-to-San Luis Obispo Pacific Surfliner posted a 3.2 percent decline in October, carrying 211,768 passengers. Despite the drop-off, the route still is the second-busiest in the United States, according to a prepared statement.