Amtrak Capital Corridor Punctuality? (San Jose, San Francisco: employment, living, restaurant)

[tarheel06]

Hi All,

I am considering to take a job in Fairfield and am considering the option of taking the train from Davis. Does anyone know about the train's punctuality? How difficult is it to park near the Davis station? Is this a viable option?

Responses and other relevant insights would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Nikefutbolero]

Just drive.

[CityGirl72]

No one takes the train. We are not SF and using BART. Amtrak is crazy expensive - like over $25 a day (each way I think, but don't quote me)

Just Drive

[Mr. Ozo]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

No one takes the train.

Huh..? Capital Corridor has one of the highest ridership levels of the country. I believe round trip from Davis to Fairfield is 18 dollars, which is about what you would spend on gas. There is no reason you couldn't take the train from Davis, but it would highly depend on where your employment was in relation to train station and connecting buses.

It's very punctuational and there 22 trains a day, each way.


btw. one of my friends commutes from Sac to Fairfield everyday on the train, she says she rarely drives it anymore. Much preferably to driving as you get to work and relax on the train, get breakfast etc.

[wburg]

Monthly passes are considerably cheaper--a lot of people use it to commute from Auburn and Roseville to downtown Sacramento. It's also a lot nicer than driving: you can order lunch, read, work on your laptop or smartphone (or, text or make cellphone calls without risking an accident.) From Davis to Fairfield is pretty short, but if it works for the OP (they can easily get where they are going from the Fairfield/Suisun train station) it's a nice way to make the trip without having to battle traffic.

"No one takes the train"? As Mr. Ozo mentions, Capitol Corridor is very successful, and Sacramento's light rail system, for all its faults, has one of the highest daily riderships in the country.

[Ultrarunner]

Decided to take the train from Oakland to Old Sacramento instead of driving last week... very relaxing... cost $25 each way.

I'm thinking there must be breaks for commuters and someone told me some employers share to the cost of public transportation.

Driving does make more sense if carpooling.... takes almost the same fuel with a single occupant as it does for several.

[CityGirl72]

Sorry - I guess I didn't realize.

But he said "Amtrak" so I don't think Light Rail at all. I was thinking Amtrak. Is it like BART?

I took regional transit for years in Seattle, and hated every minute, and living here in Sa 10 years before that - I never knew people to take RT

[wburg]

Amtrak's Capitol Corridor train is a diesel heavy-rail train that runs between Colfax and San Jose, although some runs only go from Sacramento to Oakland. It's a nice way to get to the Bay Area, or from the foothills to Sacramento, without the hassle of driving, and parking, and tolls, and parking tickets, etcetera. It's not like BART, which is both subway and grade-separated interurban. Unlike BART, the trains have restrooms and a dining car (nothing fancy--burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, pizza, soda, coffee, beer and wine.) and the seats either have tray tables (like an airline but bigger) or have big tables with four seats like a restaurant booth. I think they recently added Wi-Fi to some or all of the trains. It is very popular, the trains are very busy, and they have a 95%+ on-time record.

The monthly pass for Capitol Corridor costs $439--cheaper by far than driving from Sacramento to SF and back, kind of pricey for Davis-Fairfield only (about $22/day). So driving might be the more economical option.

We don't have as many transit riders per capita as San Francisco, but to discount any public transit in the Sacramento region simply because we're not SF ignores the fact that plenty of people do take light rail and buses here--myself included. If what you mean is "I don't take the train," or "I don't know anyone who takes the train," then say that, rather than "no one takes the train."

http://www.capitolcorridor.org/inclu..._schedules.pdf

[Ultrarunner]

Last week... it was fun taking the train looking out the window passing the cars going down the interstate.

9 Sac to Oakland Round trips would cost $450... vs. $439 with the pass.

[tarheel06]

Thanks to all for providing feedback! Although its expensive, I'll consider the train as a viable commuting option.