Tri-Valley Herald: ACE trains hit 90% on-time arrival record
Fremont Argus: ACE's use rises despite tardiness problem
2001 April 17
Report:
By Brooke Bryant
SAN JOAQUIN BUREAU
STOCKTON -- Despite several months last fall when trains frequently
ran late, the number of people riding the Altamont Commuter Express
steadily increased, according to performance reports.
But the trains, which run from Stockton to San Jose with a stop in
Fremont, are back on track and arriving on time more readily.
ACE trains were on time only 62.5 percent of the time in September,
68.18 percent in October and 78.33 percent in November, according to
the report. But since December, trains have reached their destinations
punctually more than 90 percent of the time.
Train derailments several states away contributed to the on-time
performance problems, according to Jonathan Garzoli of the San Joaquin
Regional Rail Commission. On very hot days, the tracks tend to expand,
creating "kinks" in the track that can cause trains to jump the rails,
so the company issued a mandatory slow order when temperatures hit a
certain mark.
"Certainly people weren't happy about it," Garzoli said. "That's the
tail-end of summer, the weather's hot, the crowded conditions on the
train, and then the train not being on time ... We were seeing a rise
in the number of passenger concerns, but most people, once they
explained it, they were understanding."
Despite the delays, last fall saw a dramatic increase in ridership on
the ACE trains, according to the report. The average daily number of
passengers rose from 2,626 in July of 2000 to 3,827 in November of the
same year.
Part of that growth is from added services like the turn back train,
but a large portion of it is new riders finding out about the service
and giving it a try, Garzoli said.
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