SACRAMENTO, Calif. — “Locomotive repair work” is being cited in an advisory to Capitol Corridor passengers this week as the reason two Sacramento-Oakland round trips have been canceled beginning Wednesday, Sept. 3. The cancellations will continue through through Friday, Sept. 19. The Oakland-Bakersfield San Joaquins also lose a round trip during the same period.
A Wednesday blog post says Capitol Corridor weekday train Nos. 520 and 534, out of Oakland at 5:20 a.m. and 2:12 p.m. respectively, and westbound weekday Nos. 535 and 549 from Sacramento at 9:55 a.m. and 5:49 p.m. are being cancelled. The Amtrak corridor normally operates 14 round trips weekdays and 11 on the weekends between Sacramento and Oakland. Many extend to San Jose and one to Auburn, Calif.
“We recognize that many of you already experienced cancellations last week, and we know how frustrating that can be,” the advisory says, adding, “Please know we are doing everything possible to minimize impacts while this essential repair work is completed.”
The cancelled San Joaquins during the same period are No. 714, departing Oakland at 11:36 a.m., and No. 717 out of Bakersfield at 2:12 p.m. daily.
The separately managed joint powers authorities share some state-owned bilevel cars and locomotives, but the San Joaquins also utilize Venture equipment. Trains.com reached out to senior leadership at both agencies separately today (Thursday, Sept. 4) to determine the nature of the repairs and which locomotives were involved, but had not received any response as of 4:30 p.m. Pacific time.
Caltrain to the rescue?
Meanwhile, in what appears to be an unrelated development that occurred before the cancellations were announced, last week the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board approved the lease of three F40PH-2C locomotives, three Bombardier cab cars, and 13 coaches to Caltrans, which supplies equipment to all three California intercity corridors. The lease of the idle equipment, displaced by the electrification of the San Francisco-San Jose portion of Caltrain’s San Francisco-Gilroy, Calif., commuter route, will bring in $2.14 million, annually according to a staff report that appears on page 8 of documents from an Aug. 27, 2025, meeting.
The Caltrain document specific mentions the Capitol, San Joaquin, and Altamont Corridor Express corridors as “experiencing equipment shortages due to increased ridership demand.” Trains.com asked Caltrans if any decision had been made regarding where the commuter equipment would be assigned and is awaiting a reply.
You will need to update your article because as of today, the cancelled trains will not return to service until 10/04/2025. That date may also change, but that will be the soonest.