State legislation, SB 742 authored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), was passed in 2019 to remove the requirement for intercity passenger rail/thruway bus services to sell companion rail tickets as condition of the sale. The bill specifically allows Joint Powers Authorities, including San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), Capitol Corridor, and the Los Angeles San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN), to pick up and drop off passengers on their Amtrak intercity thruway bus routes without requiring them to have a train ticket as part of their trip.
"We are pleased to be rolling out this next stage of increased accessibility for our thruway bus network," said David Lipari, Marketing Manager for the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. "Our focus is on making travel on Gold Runner as convenient as possible, which means ensuring that potential riders can use our network for trips near or far, and with or without train connections."
Plan and book ahead to make sure your seat is reserved.To check for available "bus-only" destinations along the Thruway Bus routes and the associated fares, visit https://amtraksanjostg.wpengine.com/thruway-bus-routes/.For inquiries, train passengers can reach out to Gold Runner on Twitter at @SanJoaquins, Facebook and Instagram at @AmtrakSanJoaquins or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.
