News & Reviews News Wire Digest: Amtrak Capitol Corridor adds occupancy tool to website

Digest: Amtrak Capitol Corridor adds occupancy tool to website

By Faith Finfrock | October 2, 2020

| Last updated on February 2, 2021

News Wire Digest second section for Oct. 2: Stations reopen for Amtrak San Joaquin; sanitation agency seeks dismissal of Reading & Northern suit

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More Friday morning rail news:

A screen shot from the Capitol Corridor website shows a sample of train occupancy information.
Capitol Corridor website now offering occupancy information on trains, connecting buses
Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor has added an occupancy information tool on its website to provide passengers awareness of how full a given train may be. The tool, available here, uses recent ridership numbers to indicate vacancy rates on individual trains. “At the moment ridership continues to be low enough to allow for ample social distancing on all of our trains and buses,” Rob Padgette, managing director of the Capitol Corridor, said in a news release. “Based on passenger surveys we conducted earlier in the summer, and assuming businesses continue to open back up, we expect more people to start using our service again in the coming months. This tool gives our customers the information they need to plan their travel with confidence.” Information is also available for connecting bus service between Emeryville, Calif., and San Francisco.

San Joaquin stations reopen with new hours, health rules
Stations serving Amtrak’s San Joaquin that have been closed because of COVID-19 will reopen as of Monday, Oct. 5, restoring the ability of passengers to buy tickets in person, check baggage, and wait indoors for trains. The 10 stations involved will have new operating hours, and have health measures in place including a mask requirement, social distancing, and will not accept cash. A list of the stations and their hours is available here.

Agency seeks dismissal of Reading & Northern suit over stormwater fees
A regional sanitation agency is seeking dismissal of the Reading & Northern’s suit over stormwater fees, saying in court filings that its actions are governed by the federal pollution reduction law which led to the fees. The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that legal filings by the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority rebut arguments by the railroad in the suit it filed in August, saying six of its properties should not be subject to the fees because they fall outside “urbanized” areas [see “Digest: Reading & Northern files suit over stormwater fees,” Aug. 31, 2020].

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