Metrolink (AAR reporting marks SCAX) is a Regional rail system that serves the Southern California region. In 1991, it was established as the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) and service began the following year. From 1990-1993, the SCRRA member agencies purchased track and other property in fee title, easement or through operating rights from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad (now Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway), Southern Pacific Railroad (now Union Pacific Railroad) and Union Pacific Railroad. SCRRA member agencies acquired about 200 route miles from Santa Fe for $236 million, over 200 route miles from Southern Pacific for $257 million, and 59 route miles from Union Pacific for $17 million. In 2006, it had an operating budget of $134.8 million. Since July 2005, Metrolink has been operated under contract by Veolia Transport. The contract extends for a period of five years and includes the provision of locomotive engineers and conductors. Prior to July 2005, Metrolink was operated under contract by Amtrak. Metrolink logo, copyrighted, assumed fair use. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, (not to be confused with the Los Angeles Metro Area which only includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties) is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the county of Los Angeles, California, United States. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The dominant rail gauge in each country shown Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... Veolia Transportation is a brand name of the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement before known as Connex. ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... This article is about the region of Southern California. ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting marks BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the four remaining transcontinental railroads and one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only one competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is larger in size). ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks SP) was an American railroad. ... Union Pacific redirects here. ... Veolia Transportation is a brand name of the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement before known as Connex. ... The high-speed Acela Express in West Windsor, New Jersey. ...

Overview

A picture taken on the upper level of a Metrolink passenger car.

Metrolink's area of service includes lines to Ventura County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Orange County, and San Diego County. It connects to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Metro Rail lines at Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles, and to the San Diego Coaster at Oceanside. It also connects at various points to Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, and Southwest Chief services. As of early 2007, it served a total of 54 stations on 388 route miles (excluding shared miles) throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 109 KB)Inside a commuter Metrolink train in Los Angeles File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 109 KB)Inside a commuter Metrolink train in Los Angeles File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Ventura County . ... Los Angeles County is a county in California and is by far the most populous county in the United States. ... San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, containing more land than each of nine states. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ... Cities in Orange County Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. ... San Diego County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California, along its border with Mexico. ... This article is about the present transit agency. ... The Los Angeles County Metro Rail is the mass transit rail system of Los Angeles County. ... A view of Union Station familiar to many of downtown Los Angeles visitors. ... Skyline of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. ... The San Diego Coaster, or Coaster, is a commuter rail service administered by North County Transit District of San Diego County, California and operated by Amtrak. ... Oceanside is the third largest city in San Diego County, California. ... The high-speed Acela Express in West Windsor, New Jersey. ... // Northbound Pacific Surfliner Cab Car crosses Carlsbad Village Dr. in Carlsbad, Ca. ... The Coast Starlight at San Luis Obispo, California. ... The Southwest Chief snaking through Apache Canyon, NM The Southwest Chief (formerly the Southwest Limited) is a passenger train operated by Amtrak along a 2256-mile (3631-km) route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, (not to be confused with the Los Angeles Metro Area which only includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties) is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the county of Los Angeles, California, United States. ...

The average weekday ridership for the period from October through December 2006 was 42,363 boardings.^[1] Ridership has grown at 3-4% per year since opening; Orange County ridership grew 30% from 2002 to 2005.

Rail lines

Map of the Metrolink system.

Metrolink runs seven lines through Southern California. Image File history File links MetroLink. ... Image File history File links MetroLink. ...

• 91 Line (61.6 mile route between Union Station and Riverside-Downtown)
• Antelope Valley Line (76.6 mile route between Union Station and Lancaster)
• Inland Empire-Orange County (IEOC) Line (100.1 mile route between San Bernardino and Oceanside)
• Orange County Line (87.2 mile route between Union Station and Oceanside)
• Riverside Line (59.1 mile route between Union Station and Riverside-Downtown)
• San Bernardino Line (56.5 mile route between Union Station and San Bernardino/Riverside-Downtown)
• Ventura County Line (70.9 mile route between Union Station and Montalvo, Ventura)

Metrolinks 91 line (sometimes called the Riverside-Fullerton Line) goes from Downtown Los Angeles to Riverside paralleling the very busy California State Freeway 91. ... The Antelope Valley Line is a commuter rail line that serves the Northern Los Angeles County areas. ... The Inland Empire-Orange County (IEOC) Line operates from San Bernardino to San Juan Capistrano in Southern Orange County. ... Metrolinks Orange County Line is a commuter rail that runs from Downtown Los Angeles through Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County connecting with the Coaster commuter rail to San Diego. ... The Riverside Line of Metrolink travels the following route: 1. ... The San Bernardino Line of Metrolink travels the following route: 1. ... The Ventura County Line of Metrolink has the following route: Los Angeles at Union Station Glendale Burbank Burbank Airport Van Nuys Northridge Chatsworth Simi Valley Moorpark Camarillo Oxnard Montalvo As of July 2004, a total of 10 trains operate on this route each way per day. ...

Central Maintenance Facility

Metrolink's Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) is located on the east bank of the Los Angeles River near the intersection of the 5 and 110 Freeways, just south of the former location of Union Pacific's Taylor Yard. The facility was constructed in 1992 on 25 acres at a cost of $38 million. It provides a 75,000 square foot shop area and 14,000 square feet of administrative offices and employee facilities and is operated by Metrolink's equipment maintenance contractor, Bombardier Transportation. The CMF has four functional areas: The Los Angeles River, highlighted in red (on the left). ... Union Pacific redirects here. ...

Service & Inspection: Trains receive daily cleaning, inspection for minor repairs, and fueling on these tracks at the north end of the facility.

Storage Tracks: Holding area for trains already serviced.

Shops: Heavy repairs to locomotives and passenger cars and required Federal inspections performed in this area.

Progressive Maintenance: Scheduled light repairs, extensive cleaning, and servicing to maintain optimum performance levels

Fares and service

Metrolink's Burbank station.

The fare structure on Metrolink is based on a formula taking into account driving distance between stations, added to a flat fee charged for boarding the train. Fares are calculated in 25 cent increments between stations. Prior to July 2004, Metrolink fares were based on fare zones radiating outward from Union Station, but a controversial fare restructuring converted fares into the current system.^[2] Fare increases are generally done on an annual basis in July to coincide with increased fuel and labor expenses. Fare increases have generally averaged between 3.5 and 5% per year, with some pairs increasing by up to 10% due to the driving distance restructuring. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 3. ... Other information The Burbank Metrolink Station, sometimes referred to as the Burbank Transportation Center, is a Metrolink rail station near downtown Burbank, California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Metrolink's fares are high compared to its peers and to competing bus service. For instance, a round trip ticket between Montclair and Downtown Los Angeles is $13.25, compared with $4.00 for competing Foothill Transit - Silver Streak express bus service (via carpool lanes and the El Monte Busway) between the two destinations. Similarly, monthly passes are higher than competing bus systems. A monthly pass for the bus between the Palmdale Metrolink station and Los Angeles Union Station costs $210, compared to $277.75 on Metrolink. (The high fares, however, give Metrolink one of the highest farebox recovery rates of any commuter rail service.) The Antelope Valley Transit Authority justified this competition by noting that, while Metrolink trains are more consistent in their schedule and have more midday and evening service than commuter buses, commuter buses are cheaper to riders, drop riders off at their destination without transfers, can be faster if transfer time is considered, and is more frequent than train service. ^[3] Location of Montclair in California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California County San Bernardino Incorporated (city) 1956-04-25 [3] Government  - Mayor Paul M. Eaton [1]  - City Manager Lee C. McDougal [2] Area  - City  5. ... Skyline of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. ... Foothill Transit is a bus transit company serving routes in the San Gabriel Valley of Greater Los Angeles, California. ... Foothill Transits Silver Streak bus Silver Streak is a bus rapid transit system operated by Foothill Transit between Los Angeles and Montclair. ... Map of El Monte Busway. ... Motto: Aerospace Capital of America Location of Palmdale in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Government  - Mayor James C. Ledford Jr. ... A view of Union Station familiar to many of downtown Los Angeles visitors. ... Farebox recovery ratio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the transit agency serving the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster and their suburbs. ...

Metrolink riders can ride most buses in Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as the Metro Rail, for free with their valid ticket or pass, and monthly pass holders in Orange and Ventura Counties can use Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Thruway Coach services through the Rail 2 Rail program.

Like many US commuter rail systems, Metrolink lacks substantial off-peak service—a characteristic which may also hurt ridership numbers. Between approximately 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. there are few trains on most lines, even those (such as the Antelope Valley line) that have very high peak-hour ridership. However, Metrolink has added more trains on some lines, especially in Orange County, when Orange County decided to subsidize more service into the county. Cities in Orange County Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. ...

Some of these attributes can be ascribed to the structure of Metrolink's governance board, a Joint Powers Authority of the five transportation commissions of the counties in its service area: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Orange County Transportation Authority, Riverside County Transportation Commission, Ventura County Transportation Commission and San Bernardino Associated Governments (with representatives of the San Diego Association of Governments, the Southern California Association of Governments and the California Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing Agency as non-voting ex-officio members of the board). Each of the five member agencies fund the portion of service that operates in their county, mostly with local sales tax money, although there are exceptions. Metrolink also occasionally gets some direct funding from the state and federal governments, although this often calls for a delicate act of political balancing as local agencies are concerned that money for Metrolink could instead be used to funds roads and buses in their counties. The inherent conflict of interest of the Board partially explains the high fares. This article is about the present transit agency. ... OCTA logo. ... The San Diego Association of Governments (abbreviated SANDAG) is an association of local San Diego governments. ...

Future expansion

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has announced plans to increase frequencies to 76 trains daily on the Orange County Line ^[4], and funding for increased Metrolink service was included in the renewal of the Measure M salex tax for transportation approved by the voters in November 2006 ^[5]. OCTA logo. ...

Future plans also call for line expansions extending the service area. The proposed 91 Line Extension, known officially as the Perris Valley Line, will link Riverside and Perris by 2010 ^[6], with eventual plans for a Phase II extension further east to Hemet and San Jacinto.^[7] Metrolinks 91 line (sometimes called the Riverside-Fullerton Line) goes from Downtown Los Angeles to Riverside paralleling the very busy California State Freeway 91. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Riverside Government  - Mayor Ron Loveridge Area  - City  78. ... Perris is a city located in Riverside County, California. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hemet is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. ... Mount San Jacinto is a nearby mountain in California. ...

In the coming decade, a 9-mile eastward extension is planned to link San Bernardino with Redlands/Mentone.^[8] The San Bernardino Associated Governments is considering diesel multiple-unit service on this route. San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Mentone is a census-designated place located in San Bernardino County, California. ...

A proposed station in Yorba Linda was canceled in 2005 due to local opposition. Motto: Land of Gracious Living Location of Yorba Linda within Orange County, California. ...

In addition, Los Angeles County-area transit advocates have proposed adding Metrolink service along the Harbor Subdivision corridor, so as to provide Metrolink service to Inglewood, Los Angeles International Airport, and the South Bay. Proponents argue that this could provide direct service between the South Bay, LAX, and Union Station, and possibly continue into the San Fernando Valley, though they also envision that a Metro Rail line could run in the corridor as well. Opponents argue that frequently running fast moving trains along busy Slauson Avenue, through a residential area, is potentially dangerous. The Alameda Corridor (purple) was built mostly on the former Southern Pacific Railroad line to the ports, which became part of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996. ... Nickname: Location of Inglewood in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Established 1888 Incorporated February 14, 1908 Government  - Mayor Roosevelt F. Dorn Area  - Total 9. ... Runway layout at LAX LAX redirects here. ... The South Bay and surrounding regions in Southern California The South Bay is a region in the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. ...

Major Accidents

Placentia, April 2002

On April 23, 2002, a BNSF Railway freight train collided head-on with a Metrolink train in Placentia, near the Atwood Junction, at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Van Buren Street. Both trains were on the same east-west track moving toward one another. The Metrolink had the right-of-way; it was supposed to switch to a southbound track. The BNSF train was supposed to slow and stop just before the switch while the Metrolink passed, but the crew missed a signal one and a half miles back warning them to slow down. By the time the crew saw the red "stop" signal at the switch and the Metrolink train, they were going too fast to avoid a collision. Although there was speculation that the signals alerting the Burlington to slow and stop had malfunctioned, an investigation later concluded that it was human error by the crew that caused the accident. Two people died in the crash and twenty-two were seriously injured.^[9] is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting marks BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the four remaining transcontinental railroads and one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only one competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is larger in size). ... Location of Placentia within Orange County, California. ... Atwood, California is a small neighborhood in Placentia, California. ...

Glendale, January 2005

For more details on this topic, see Glendale train crash.

On January 26, 2005, two Metrolink passenger trains were derailed in the worst train accident in Metrolink's history. A southbound Metrolink train derailed when it hit a vehicle parked on the tracks near an at-grade crossing at Chevy Chase Drive. The train struck a stationary freight locomotive (overturning it) and jackknifed, colliding with an oncoming northbound Metrolink train which also derailed. Eleven people were killed (including an off-duty sheriff's deputy and a train conductor) and over 100 people were injured, about 40 seriously. The man who parked the vehicle on the tracks, Juan Manuel Alvarez, was apprehended and charged with 11 counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, including murder by train wrecking. At the time of this writing, he is awaiting trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Aftermath of the train crash. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Juan Manuel Alvarez (born 1978) is a Californian suspected of causing the January 26, 2005 Glendale train crash, a collision between a passenger train and a car in Glendale, California (a suburb of Los Angeles). ...

Fleet

Metrolink fleet consists of 39 locomotives (1 leased from Sound Transit in Seattle) and 155 Bombardier BiLevel Coaches.^[10][11] As of January 2007, the cab car portion of the fleet consists of 33 Metrolink owned cab cars, 4 cab cars leased from Sound Transit and 2 cab cars leased from Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) in Northern California. The trailer portion of the fleet includes 106 Metrolink owned trailers, 8 trailers leased from Sound Transit and 2 trailers leased from ACE. Metrolink owned units are painted white with periwinkle blue streaks. Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington states Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since 1996. ... A BiLevel coach in service with Torontos GO Transit. ... The Altamont Commuter Express leaving Pleasanton station. ...

The leased units can be recognized by their retention of their owner's livery, with Metrolink logos pasted on top of the owner's logos, instead of the standard Metrolink colors.

Fleet notes The EMD F59PH is a diesel-electric locomotive made by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD). ... The Electro-Motive Diesels F59PHI diesel-electric locomotive is a common locomotive on passenger trains in North America. ... The General Motors Electro-Motive Division model F40PH is a 3000 horsepower (2. ... A SD50 owned by CSX Transportation. ... The MPXpress is a passenger locomotive designed for commuter service. ...

See also

• Amtrak
• San Diego Public Transportation

This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... The San Diego Trolley is a trolley-style light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego, California. ... Coaster can refer to: A glass with a ceramic coaster under it. ... The Sprinter is a microcomputer made by Peters Plus, Ltd. ... // Northbound Pacific Surfliner Cab Car crosses Carlsbad Village Dr. in Carlsbad, Ca. ... The high-speed Acela Express in West Windsor, New Jersey. ... FAA diagram of San Diego International Airport San Diego International Airport (IATA: SAN, ICAO: KSAN, FAA LID: SAN), also known as Lindbergh Field, is located in San Diego, California. ... McClellan-Palomar Airport is an airport located in Carlsbad, California serving the northern part of San Diego County. ... The high-speed Acela Express in West Windsor, New Jersey. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

References

Seal of the National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a U.S. government independent organization responsible for investigation of accidents involving aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads in the United States. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Metrolink Web site
• Metrolink map (Note: the map shown on the web site is from 1999)
• Photos of Metrolink trains and stations
• Independently-run Website for Riders