Amtrak Adding Seats to Accommodate Thanksgiving Travel

Anticipating a rush of travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday, Amtrak and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority are adding extra trains and buses to accommodate more passengers, Amtrak officials said Thursday.

Amtrak will add 7,300 seats to the Pacific Surfliner route and will require reservations for travel beginning Tuesday through Dec. 1. The rail agency will add more than 700 seats to the Capitol Corridor route beginning Tuesday and continuing through Nov. 30, and will add 600 seats to its San Joaquin service beginning Wednesday and continuing through Nov. 30.

In addition to the extra seats on trains, Amtrak will be increasing the number of reserved Thruway buses on its busiest California routes. Those routes include the Sacramento-Stockton, Bakersfield-Los Angeles and Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo-San Jose lines. Amtrak officials said passengers should anticipate heavy crowds the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving and should allow themselves extra time at the terminals.

—By Bay City News