Here’s the news release from Metrolink:
All Orange County and Inland Empire line Metrolink trains will be cancelled on Oct. 22-23, 29-30 & Nov. 5-6; trains 644 and 645 will be cancelled on Fridays, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4
LOS ANGELES – There will be no service on Metrolink’s Orange County and Inland Empire lines the next three weekends as San Diego Northern Railroad construction crews work to improve passenger and freight rail services by installing a second main line track and new rail bridges in the corridor. Additionally, Orange County Line trains 644 and 645 will be cancelled on Fridays, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.
Amtrak’s schedule also will be affected, but they will offer some transportation options for those wanting to take public transportation. Please check www.amtrak.com for scheduling and fare information. Metrolink Monthly Pass holders can ride Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner trains within the station pairs on their Metrolink ticket for free as part of the Rail2Rail program. Metrolink’s weekend pass is not valid on Amtrak trains.
This work is part of the LOSSAN (Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor) Coastal Rail Improvements, a project in which the San Diego Association of Governments, North County Transit District and Amtrak are working to add a second track to the 60-mile LOSSAN coastal rail corridor to improve passenger and freight rail services.
ABOUT METROLINK
Metrolink is Southern California’s regional commuter rail service in its 19th year of operation. 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, governs the service. Metrolink operates over seven routes through a six-county, 512 route-mile network. Metrolink is the third largest commuter rail agency based on directional route miles and the seventh largest based on annual ridership.
Categories: Service Alerts
Actually, a lot has already been upgraded, improved and capacity added on the L.A. area portions of LOSSAS over the yers. SD has desperately needed such improvements for a LONG TIME, but as bad as things have always been everywhere, L.A. has always had or gotten the money, not so in SD.
There is only so much they can do from say Ventura Co. to San Luis Opisbo as the constraints are simple a lack of real estate to even put additional tracks, plus the hard time to justify the cost of upgrades (state or federal formulas) in sections that just don’t see the rail traffic that LA and OC counties have. Also, less local tax money in smaller counties, meaning much smaller tax base than OC or the big gorilla, L.A. However, it would be nice to see some day.
The closure is something to celebrate. The more double tracking the better.
Hopefully this is the start of a whole new slew of much needed capital improvements/upgrades to all of LOSSAN. It’s good to see that this is taking place as this will hopefully help commuter/passenger rail operations add capacity (more trains) and have faster and/or less delayed service. Also, I am hoping these same improvements will soon be made to LOSSAN North as well since most of that is currently single track right now which really limits the level of service both in speed and amount of train runs.