Amtrak Capitol Corridor single ride tickets -- are they bound to a specific run?
So, in the not-so-distant future, we have a very short jaunt on an Amtrak Capital Corridor train as part of a larger itinerary (that, a BART ride, and a stroll are saving us a car rental here). However, we're not precisely sure what time of the day we'll be catching the train (due to a tight flight connection earlier in the itinerary), which raises a question about how the Capitol Corridor is ticketed, since we'd much rather buy tickets ahead and have everything covered, than flag down the conductor on a short ride like this.
Are Capitol Corridor single-ride tickets bound to a specific run of the route on a specific day, or can you use them for any run on a given day, or are they not bound to time and date at all? (i.e. they're good for one ride whenever, like a single-ride transit pass of some sort would be).
Best Answer
You do not reserve a seat on any specific train on the Capitol Corridor. From their FAQ:
Do I need to make a reservation?
No. Capitol Corridor is an unreserved route, so no reservations are required, and you can buy your tickets at any time and easily hop on board! Some connecting bus routes require reservations, however, so please make sure to purchase those tickets in advance. Certain promotions and discounts may require advance purchase as well.
ADDENDUM
Note that in the U.S., a reserved train ticket means that you purchase a ticket for a specific train on a specific service at a specific date and time. An unreserved ticket means you purchase a ticket for a specific service but can use it for any train operating that service at any date and time (until the expiration of the ticket). It has no relation to assigned seating, as it is not possible to reserve specific seats anywhere in the Amtrak system (sleeper berths are another story). All seating on all trains is first-come, first-served, but on a reserved train you should almost always have a seat somewhere, even if you are the last to board.
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Does Amtrak have Capitol Corridor?
The Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile (270 km) passenger train route in Northern California operated by Amtrak between San Jose, in the Bay Area, and Auburn, in the Sacramento Valley.Is Amtrak running from Sacramento to San Francisco?
No, there is no direct train from Sacramento to San Francisco.Does Amtrak connect to BART?
Plan your next trip with AMTRAK at www.amtrak.com and begin your journey at the Richmond Amtrak Station. The Richmond BART/Amtrak Station serves as a mass connection hub and facilitates easy connections between Bart, AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, WestCat and other transportation agencies throughout the Bay area.How long is Amtrak from Sacramento to San Francisco?
Trip Summary Traveling by train from Sacramento to San Francisco usually takes around 3 hours, but the fastest Amtrak train can make the trip in 2 hours and 10 minutes.Amtrak California HD 60fps: Riding Capitol Corridor Train 543 (Sacramento-San Jose Diridon) 7/27/15
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Images: Maarten van den Heuvel, Josh Sorenson, Agostino Toselli, Maria Orlova