California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter XI – Amtrak
CHAPTER XI
AMTRAK
This chapter provides information on: Amtrak’s relationship with the Department
and with the CCJPA, key Amtrak planning initiatives, and recent Amtrak reform
proposals and budget.
AMTRAK’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND
THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY
The Department provides operating funding for three intercity rail passenger
services, the Pacific Surfliners, San Joaquins, and the Capitol Corridor.
Amtrak operates all three services under the provisions of Section 24101(c)(2) of
the Federal Rail Passenger Service Act that authorizes Amtrak to operate intercity
rail passenger service beyond its basic system services when requested to do so by
a state, group of states, or a regional or local agency. The Department directly
administers the Pacific Surfliners and San Joaquins. (Amtrak funds 30 percent of
the Pacific Surfliner service as part of its basic system, and the State pays for the
remaining 70 percent of this service.) Since July 1998, the Capitol Corridor Joint
Powers Authority (CCJPA) has administered the Capitol Corridor service under
an interagency transfer agreement with the State.
In the past Amtrak provided significant fiscal support to state-supported routes.
Then, over time, the share of service costs (called cost basis) that Amtrak required
states to pay increased significantly. Between FFY 1992 and FFY 1999 the cost
basis increased each year. Under the cost basis starting in FFY 1999, the State
paid 100 percent of all variable costs and Amtrak covered all fixed costs.
Since FFY 1999, the cost basis has remained fairly constant. Also, the CCJPA
starting in FFY 2000 entered into a fixed price-operating contract with Amtrak for
the Capitol Corridor service.
In the fall of 2002, Amtrak modified the cost allocation principle slightly to
recovery of “direct costs” which include all train related costs and a portion of
shared costs, but excludes system overhead, interest and depreciation. Costs on
this basis actually decreased slightly on the Pacific Surfliners for the same level of
service, primarily because the State is no longer charged equipment capital costs
for the use of Amtrak owned equipment. State contract costs have been constant
for the four years from 2002-03 through 2005-06. State operating costs have
never been constant for such a long period of time in the history of State-supported
service.
149