California motorists left the
highways in record numbers over the year to ride two of California’s
highly successful intercity passenger rail corridors, Caltrans announced today.

Led by the
San Joaquin corridor, which serves the Central Valley, linking Los Angeles and
Bakersfield with Sacramento and the Bay Area, California’s state supported
intercity passenger rail corridors had banner years.  Compared to May
2010, ridership on the San Joaquin, the nation’s fifth busiest rail corridor,
shot up over 12 percent with a 19 percent increase in revenue.

 The Pacific
Surfliner, the second most popular rail corridor in the nation, links San Luis
Obispo with San Diego via Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. It experienced a 4
percent climb in ridership and a 9 percent hike in revenue.

“These
incredible ridership and revenue numbers show that by providing reliable, high
quality service, Californians will leave their cars to ride trains,” said
Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. 

 With five
million annual passengers, California has more than 20 percent of all Amtrak
riders. Since 1990, Caltrans has invested more than $1.3 billion in
infrastructure and equipment for intercity passenger rail and about $1 billion
in operating support.