Passenger Rail Operations & Maintenance

The Operations Support-JPA Coordination Branch is responsible for coordinating intercity rail activities with the three Joint Powers Authorities (JPAs) that manage Amtrak operations contracts for intercity passenger rail and bus operations, marketing and public outreach on the three existing state supported corridors: Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, Pacific Surfliner. Operations Support is also responsible for monitoring the JPAs to assure compliance with the Interagency Transfer Agreements (ITAs) that govern the JPAs responsibilities. Coordination with the JPAs on their administration of the Amtrak train operation agreements includes:

• Review and provide feedback on JPAs’ Annual Business Plans (ABP).
• Provide guidance to the JPAs through a Strategic Guidance Memo to help develop their ABPs.
• Plan service level and State funding costs related to Amtrak Operations contracts between the JPAs and Amtrak.
• Review funding, service plans, and draft allocation letters for all three JPAs.
• Coordinate with the JPAs to ensure intercity rail passenger and thruway bus agreements meet the State’s statewide coordination and integration needs, the State Rail Plan, and requirements under the Interagency Transfer Agreements (ITAs).
• Oversee JPA contract management and compliance.
• Reconcile JPA invoices and ensure compliance with scope of work and other Contract Manager guidelines.
• Coordinate a variety of Working Groups with the JPAs to work collaboratively on service, funding, projects, and other essential conversations.
• Develop Budget Change Proposals and Finance Letters to support Statewide Intercity Rail funding.
• Responsible for the collection, analysis, and reporting of Intercity Passenger Rail Operations financial and operations statistics.
• Manage dashboards that help record and visualize JPA cost, ridership, and other essential parameters for efficient service.
• Work with California Operation Lifesaver (CAOL) to create, manage, and renew their funding contract between CAOL and Caltrans to ensure accordance with California Government Code 14036.8.
• Provide support to CalSTA for the State Rail Assistance program through administering quarterly award distribution and monitoring compliance.

Background

On July 1, 2015, Caltrans transferred administration and marketing duties for intercity passenger rail service to the following three JPAs and their respective intercity passenger rail corridors:

• The LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN Agency) for the Pacific Surfliner, connecting San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo
  The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor (LOSSAN Corridor) travels 351 miles through a six-county coastal region in Southern California and is one of the busiest state-supported Amtrak routes. The Pacific Surfliner route includes 29 stations.
  The LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency (Agency) works to increase ridership, revenue, capacity, reliability, coordination and safety on the coastal rail line between San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. It is governed by a 11-member Board of Directors composed of elected officials representing rail owners, operators, and planning agencies along the rail corridor.
  The LOSSAN Agency is staffed and utilizes shared staff by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) for functions including contracts, risk management, government relations, and accounts payable/receivable. 
  
  
• The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SSJPA) for the San Joaquins, between Bakersfield and both Oakland and Sacramento
  The SJJPA is made up of elected officials throughout the San Joaquin Corridor. SJJPA’s board members are part of the communities in the San Joaquin Corridor, helping them better engage with local communities throughout the corridor for use and support of the SJJPA service. The SJJPA provides service to 18 stations in 18 cities.
  The San Joaquins Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) was selected by the SJJPA Board to be the Managing Agency at the July 26, 2013 SJJPA Board Meeting in Fresno. As Managing Agency of the SJJPA, the SJRRC provides all necessary administrative support for the SJJPA. The SJJPA along with its supporters and sponsors are working with other partner agencies to advocate for conventional intercity rail service improvements throughout California.
  
  
• The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) for the Capitol Corridor connecting San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento-Auburn
  The Capitol Corridor is an intercity passenger train system that provides a convenient alternative to traveling along the congested freeways by operating fast and reliable intercity rail service to 18 stations in 8 Northern California counties: Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, and Santa Clara.
  The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) is a partnership among the six local transit agencies in the eight-county service area which share the administration and management of the Capitol Corridor. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) provides day-to-day management support to the CCJPA.
  Capitol Corridor services are developed with input from riders, private and public sector stakeholders, along with the partners who help deliver the Capitol Corridor service – Amtrak, the Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans and the various agencies and communities that make up the Capitol Corridor. 

These services offer travel to more than 130 destinations in California and parts of Nevada, carrying four million passengers annually and helping to improve the state’s air quality and reduce highway congestion and fuel consumption.

The Rail Equipment Branch is responsible for planning, organizing, coordinating and directing rail equipment projects with Amtrak and other contractors throughout the United States. Projects include preventive maintenance, warranty administration, fleet-wide retrofit, accident repair and scheduled overhaul on the Department's existing fleet of rail passenger locomotives and intercity railcars.

The Rail Equipment Branch:

• Manages equipment rework, rebuild and overhaul projects, including the monitoring and documentation of Amtrak and contractor performance to ensure conformance with contractual requirements and equipment manufacturer's recommendations and safety regulations.
• Develops budgetary, financial and project planning documents and databases to track existing projects as well as estimate future rework and rebuild costs and workload.
• Oversees equipment maintenance activities, including the monitoring of Amtrak and contractor maintenance performance and proper completion of documentation in order to ensure conformance with equipment maintenance requirements and the Caltrans-Amtrak Maintenance Agreement in conjunction with the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority.
• Oversees rail equipment maintenance and heavy overhaul support consultant activities. Develops task orders as needed to support equipment rebuilds, heavy overhaul, wreck repair, scheduled maintenance and defect resolution.
• Manages accident repairs to state-owned rail equipment. Administers a rail equipment wreck repair and cost recovery process. Develops and implements training programs in insurance recovery, wreck repair cost estimation, repair practices and related programs.