Amtrak is beefing up its train schedule through the San Joaquin Valley, adding weekend runs of its San Joaquins service between Bakersfield and Sacramento.
The new schedule, which takes effect May 20, will feature departures every two hours from Bakersfield, Oakland and Sacramento, with stops in Fresno. This schedule is designed to allow trains to pass at double-track sections, thereby improving on-time performance.
Trains will leave Bakersfield and Sacramento at 6:12 a.m. and 6:26 a.m., respectively, seven days a week. An evening train out of Bakersfield will depart at 6:12 p.m. and arrive at 11:31 p.m., every day. Go here for more information about the San Joaquins schedule.
The expanded schedule also has more runs between Oakland and Bakersfield, with service to Fresno.
“With increased population growth in both the Bay Area and throughout all of California, we recognize the need for better connectivity,” David Lipari, marketing manager of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, said in a statement.
hahaha. What happened to high speed rail?
Agreed. High speed rail is a great idea, but a better idea would have been to speed up Amtrak and improve its performance. This is a good start at that.