**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) is excited to announce an adjustment to its afternoon schedule, introducing an earlier ACE train return service to better accommodate flexible in-office schedules. Effective November 18, 2024, ACE 02 will begin operation departing from the San Jose Diridon Station at 2:10 PM. To offer this new train time, SJRRC will be suspending operations of its ACE 10 service.
As many employers in the Bay Area offer more flexible in-office schedules, employees are looking to return home from the office earlier. This is indicative of the current ACE ridership data which boasts ACE 04 (3:35 PM San Jose Departure) as the busiest return train. When ACE 02 begins to operate, SJRRC anticipates that its ridership will attract a combination of current ACE 04 riders and new riders seeking an earlier service time. ACE 02 advantages include the ability to return to origin stations in time for family activities or other errands, flexibility to work a half-day, and an option for occasional business travelers to utilize the service for morning or early afternoon meetings.
“It is imperative that ACE continues to adapt to meet the needs of our communities. With many workers being able to work on the train and shorten their office time, an earlier return train will benefit many of our riders and attract new riders,” states Nancy Young, Chair of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. “The ACE 02 train will help many of our San Joaquin County riders get back home in time for essential activities with family and friends.”
As SJRRC has continued to monitor the performance of the ACE service post-pandemic, a consistent trend developed in its afternoon service. Ridership performance of the afternoon trains followed a simple pattern – the earlier the train the better the performance. ACE 10 operating as the latest afternoon train did not return to pre-pandemic ridership at the same pace as the other afternoon trains. By comparison, ACE 10 is carrying 65% less riders than the closest afternoon train by ridership which is ACE 08. Through a combination of market research and service data, SJRRC identified a growing demand for an earlier departure from the Bay Area. With the new ACE 02 service it is expected to increase ridership beyond what ACE 10 has done in the past.
To accompany the new schedule, the extensive connecting shuttle service at ACE’s Great America Station will be adjusted to serve ACE 02. Other connecting services are being evaluated and separate announcements will be forthcoming as those services connect to the new train time. For community members looking to take advantage of the new train time, tickets can be purchased for the ACE service by downloading the ACE app or visiting one of the staffed ACE Stations. For more information, visit acerail.com.
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About San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission/ACE:
Governed by a Board of Directors consisting of six full-voting members from San Joaquin County and two special-voting members from Alameda County, SJRRC owns, operates, and is the policy-making body for the ACE train service, which has been transporting passengers between the Central Valley and Bay Area since 1998. For more information about SJRRC and ACE, visit acerail.com or connect through Instagram (@AltamontCorridorExpress), Facebook (@AltamontCorridorExpress) and Twitter (@ACE_train).