LA's Last Train To Santa Ana

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The Los Angeles to Santa Ana railway was once a key transportation link in Southern California, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally part of the Pacific Electric Railway (PE), a vast interurban rail system founded by Henry Huntington in the early 1900s, the line connected Los Angeles to Santa Ana and beyond, making travel between cities fast, efficient, and affordable. The Pacific Electric "Red Cars" were the backbone of Southern California’s transit network, serving commuters, tourists, and industries across the region. At its peak, the LA-Santa Ana route was a vital corridor for passengers, rivaling early automobiles in convenience. However, as car ownership increased and freeways expanded, ridership declined, leading to service reductions.
By the mid-20th century, the rise of highways like Interstate 5 and the dominance of automobiles led to the decline of interurban rail. The Pacific Electric Red Car service to Santa Ana was discontinued in 1950, marking the end of an era. Many of the former rail routes were either removed or converted into roads, further reinforcing car dependency in the region. Though passenger rail in the area largely disappeared for decades, modern efforts like Metrolink and the OC Streetcar aim to reconnect some of these lost corridors. The story of the Santa Ana railway remains a symbol of Southern California’s shift from public transit to car culture, a change that continues to shape transportation in Los Angeles today.
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