The Quiet Kick-Off: SF Bay Area Amtrak Line Goes Open Loop for FIFA Fans—Without the Fanfare

Connecting the San Francisco Bay Area to California's Sacramento capital, the Amtrak-operated Capitol Corridor rail line serves commuters, State senators, the 49ers faithful, and—early this summer—fans of the "other football," who descended for World Cup matches. Having quietly been piloting Tap2Ride to a small group of regular riders, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) recognized that global fans were likely used to tapping to pay their train fare. So they dropped the bank card-registration requirement and also began accepting mobile wallets—but didn't make a marketing push. Join us to hear what happened (hint: If you offer it, they will tap).