Metrolink modifying service on busiest line after rocky schedule change
Metrolink is making another schedule change along its busiest line to address problems that arose following a major service expansion late last year.
In October, the rail system unveiled a new schedule with dozens more trains and better connection times at Los Angeles Union Station, Metrolink’s main transit hub.
Among the changes, 10 roundtrips between Los Angeles and Covina were added on the San Bernardino Line, shortening train intervals at Union Station to about 30 minutes throughout most of the day.
The service changes were made as Metrolink moves forward with plans to transition from a commuter-focused service to a more broad regional passenger rail system. But those schedule changes also came with challenges, primarily for commuters who have supported and relied on the service for years.
Shortly after the rollout, community feedback and delays resulted in Metrolink admitting the expanded service hadn’t gone as smoothly as it had hoped.
“Last fall, we embarked on the most ambitious schedule expansion in Metrolink’s history with the goal of delivering greater flexibility and convenience for our customers,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said. “While this aspirational change was made with our riders’ needs in mind, we’ve learned some important lessons over the last several months.”
The biggest area of concern, Kettle said, was along the San Bernardino Line, Metrolink’s busiest and most popular segment.
Limited track capacity along the line, caused by a shared right-of-way with rail freight companies, has caused “cascading delays,” marring the new service schedule and having the opposite intended effect for Metrolink riders.
It was an unexpected complication that Metrolink said “extensive planning and modeling” didn’t account for.
“In response to these challenges and feedback we’ve received from customers, we’re making some much-needed changes to our schedule to improve operations and ensure we provide the high-quality service our passengers expect and deserve,” Kettle said.
Beginning Jan. 27, major changes will take place on the San Bernardino Line, including discontinuing the new Covina roundtrips, replacing them with five roundtrips between L.A. and Montclair, about 12 miles farther east. This will allow travelers to make more transfers to other transit providers throughout San Bernardino County, Metrolink said.
Those Montclair-to-L.A. routes will continue to be supplemented by 17 daily roundtrips between San Bernardino and L.A., with one roundtrip that goes as far as the Redlands Downtown Station.
Additionally, Metrolink is removing “express” service on two trains between Redlands and L.A. that made fewer stops. Those trains will now stop at each station along its routes.
Finally, due to immense customer feedback, Metrolink is restoring a late-night train from L.A. to San Bernardino that was cut from the schedule when the service changes went into effect in October.
Metrolink will also make service changes to its Arrow service, which connects downtown San Bernardino to the University of Redlands, to better align with the broader changes to the San Bernardino Line.
Minor schedule adjustments for four trains will also be put in place on the Ventura County Line, Metrolink said.
For the full list of schedule updates, click here. Metrolink is also offering limited-time discounts on monthly passes in response to the performance issues customers faced with the October schedule changes.