Southern California’s Metrolink passenger rail service on March 23 will begin “taking temporary action that prioritizes weekday reliability as the agency navigates a shortage of service-ready equipment,” it reported, due to “an increase in mechanical issues [in recent months], combined with ongoing difficulty sourcing replacement parts.”
The operator, which has 545.6 total service line miles and 67 stations across six counties, said it will adjust or suspend select weekday trips while keeping the highest-ridership trains across all lines (see map above). The targeted changes, said to be affecting approximately 40 train trips or nearly one in five weekday trains, are intended to “minimize disruption for riders.” (Download new schedule below.)
Six of Metrolink’s seven lines will operate on a modified weekday schedule that is expected to remain in place for seven weeks, with 12 trains impacted on the San Bernardino Line; four on the 91/Perris Valley and Inland Empire-Orange County lines, respectively; six on both the Orange County and Ventura County lines; and eight on the Antelope Valley Line. Riverside Line service will not be impacted, and Metrolink’s Arrow service, a nine-mile extension of the San Bernardino County Line linking the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands, will operate normally.
According to Metrolink, the seven-week timeframe may change depending on equipment availability and operating conditions. It noted that the temporary service changes do not automatically change fares or ticket rules; any separate fare action would be communicated independently.
The Metrolink fleet includes 258 railcars from Bombardier (now Alstom; called the Sentinel Fleet) and Hyundai Rotem (called the Guardian Fleet), comprising 57 cab cars and 201 coaches, and 60 locomotives (40 Electro-Motive Diesel/Progress Rail F-125s; 15 Motive Power, Inc. MP36PH-3Cs; and five Electro-Motive Diesel F59PHR locomotives rebuilt to FRA Tier 2 specifications). It has three DMUs (diesel multiple units) and one Zero-Emission Multiple Unit (ZEMU) for the Arrow service. (Download Fact Sheet and 2020-40 Fleet Management Report below).
Metrolink celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022. It is operated by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), a joint powers authority made up of an 11-member Board representing the transportation commissions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
Further Reading:
- CTC Approves $1.1B in Infrastructure Funds
- Metrolink Expands “Smart” Crossing Technology (part of Transit Briefs)
