(November 15, 2021, Stockton, CA) Gold Runner is expecting to see a significant increase in ridership this Thanksgiving travel season and is advising riders to book their tickets early. The holiday period typically sees some of the highest ridership levels of the year, and it is expected that many customers who have been delaying travel during the pandemic will be making plans to visit family and friends.
"We have seen ridership returning over the past year, although we are still below our pre-pandemic levels at this point," said David Lipari, Marketing Manager for Gold Runner. "We expect the Thanksgiving travel week to be a key indicator of continued recovery and ridership growth as families take trips that have been long-delayed. We are excited for travelers to make Gold Runner part of their holiday plan, and to experience train ridership as a comfortable, convenient, and memorable way to travel."
The Gold Runner route travels daily between Sacramento, Stockton, Oakland, Fresno and Bakersfield, along with Thruway buses that provide connecting service to 135 destinations in California and Nevada, including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno. It also serves students traveling to and from a number of colleges and universities including Sac State, Fresno State, UC Merced and more.
Passengers are encouraged to plan ahead and book their train tickets early as it is expected for many of the trains to be at maximum capacity during the most popular travel times. Additionally, Gold Runner advises passengers to look at a broader range of travel dates before and after Thanksgiving to access additional booking capacity.
Gold Runner provides an easy and comfortable way to travel this holiday season - with a traffic-free, airport-free, stress-free experience. Travelers will continue to experience enhanced safety, cleaning and physical distancing measures that have been put in place to promote public health. These protocols include required face coverings, contactless amenities, regular cleaning and disinfection, social distancing on board and in stations, and sophisticated air filtration. Gold Runner has information about its COVID-19 response here.
Ticketing and reservations are available on AmtrakSanJoaquins.com, the Amtrak app, or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
About the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA)
Since July 2015, SJJPA has been responsible for the management and administration of Gold Runner. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the ten (10) Member Agencies along the 365-mile Gold Runner Corridor. For more information on SJJPA see www.sjjpa.com.
Gold Runner is Amtrak's 6th busiest route with 18 train stations throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area, providing a safe, comfortable and reliable way to travel throughout California. Gold Runner is currently running six daily round-trips. In addition to the train service, Gold Runner Thruway buses provide connecting service to 135 destinations in California and Nevada including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno.
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