I used to live in Rancho Cucamonga and was a frequent rider of the San Bernardino line to LA. This video made me all nostalgic, seeing some familiar sights, (even if they're not the most scenic in So Cal.) One thing I did like about the section that runs along the 10 was seeing everyone stuck in traffic while you're cruising along at 70mph. I do wish Metrolink would improve frequency along this line though, even back in the late 2000's there were only a handful of convenient weekend trains.
I take the CTA Blue Line in Chicago every day, also in the highway median. Train goes painstakingly slow sometimes, but we still always whizz past traffic!
Metrolink is working on upgrades to the entire network, adding additional station platforms and new track sidings for trains to pass by on, with the goal of achieving 30 minute all day frequency on all lines by 2028. look up Metrolink SCORE if you wanna find more info, but i'm honestly pretty happy about the upgrades as a whole!
San Berdoo is pretty crummy in some parts, but the mountainside with the snow on its peaks in winter just makes up for it. Beautiful part of the IE, in my opinion
One of the interesting new developments along this line is the fact that L.A. Metro's (Blue) A Line (formerly the Gold Line) is being extended to the North Pomona station, and that service is scheduled to become available by the end of this year. When the extension opens, passengers between San Bernardino and Pasadena will be able to transfer between the two lines without having to go to L.A. Union Station.
The Orange County Transportation Commission initiated the Amtrak-operated Orange County Commuter in early 1990, running between Los Angeles and San Juan Capistrano, but a more comprehensive approach was deemed necessary. Senate Bill 1402 was signed into law on May 25, 1990, which directed local transportation authorities to establish a regional plan for commuter rail by the year's end In 1990, 175 miles of tracks were purchased by agencies as well as the rights for LA Union Station. Metrolink would begin operations in 1992 under contracted operation by Amtrak with the Ventura, Santa Clarita (now the Antelope Valley), and San Bernardino Lines. In 1993, service was expanded to include the Riverside Line and the following year the Orange County Line was conveyed from Amtrak branding to Metrolink. The Inland Empire-Orange County Line opened in 1995, and more trains on the Orange County service were funded. The 91 Line opened in 2002
That Flyaway bus saved my life. The Sunset Limited I was on was almost 6 hours late getting into L.A, leaving me an hour and fifteen minutes to catch my flight at LAX. Best 10 bucks i've ever spent. Got to the airport with 45 minutes to spare
Thanks for this vid! This made me very nostalgic. Up until covid, the SB line was my commute into work everyday. I would board the Metrolink in Baldwin Park (I live right off the 10 frwy, ps, no chance they remove lanes, Eastbound traffic after work hours is one of the worst in LA, and that's with two Express Lanes.) and take that into Union Station. I never realized how clutch the one free transfer Metrolink provides was, as I would go downstairs and ride the Metro B (red) line into Hollywood/Vine. I hope you come back to Los Angeles when our Regional Connector opens, from the looks of it they are working on the finishing touches. ETA Summer 2023
I would extend Arrow from San Bernardino's central station to downtown Riverside, the University of California at Riverside, and Perris by using some of the unused rights of way in Highgrove.
Based on the SCORE project for Metrolink, the plan for the San Bernardino Line is to have 2 trains an hour (each way I assume). That is less than their plans between Anaheim, LA, and the Valley, but it is something (plus will increase frequency to SB through Riverside and Fullerton). Looking at the map, it's about 9-10 miles of single track between El Monte and where the double track resumes outside of Union Station, with a siding just east of Cal State LA. Perhaps a workaround is working with Union Pacific on their tracks that go from El Monte to Union Station, but through Alhambra and San Gabriel (and maybe adding stations there). The only issue is that it's Union Pacific (not exactly passenger rail friendly) and would skip the Cal State LA station. Another would be to find a little extra room somewhere to build a siding so that a train can wait briefly for the opposite train. It's not great but it is workable.
Good luck ever getting Union Pacific Railroad to cooperate with a passenger rail project. This is the same railroad that laid off nearly all of its security staff during the pandemic and then tried to blame local law enforcement agencies as its trains got looted outside the container yard near Lincoln Heights. This is also the same railroad that allows many of its locomotives to become filthy and get tagged all over. It's not a good look, but I guess UP management is OK with it as long as the company and its shareholders are making big profits.
@@ronaldvrooman9695 UP in California has worked reasonably well on some projects and refused to on others. Capital corridor is all on their trackage and that’s got the best OTP of any mainline rail service. On others though they refuse to work with the state likely trying to get trains over Tehachapi or more between Stockton and Sacramento on their mainline.
@@gdrriley420 You make a good point there. The Capitol Corridor is an example of cooperation between Amtrak, the State of California, and Union Pacific. I saw several of those trains between Sacramento and the Bay Area on my return trip to L.A... On the downside, my northbound Coast Starlight was an hour late getting into Portland, OR because we had to wait for three UP freight trains on that last stretch of track between Salem and Portland.
At one time regular trains carried people, guess it never paned out you don't see them anymore. When you get to where your going, you have no ride then you can expect more cost to travel.
Notice how it says Heartland Flyer on the locomotive at 3:34? The Heartland Flyer is actually a route that started in June 1999 between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, so that locomotive is far from home! It’s currently a daily round trip service with one train in the morning to Fort Worth and then back to Oklahoma City during the afternoon rush. The journey is 206 miles and takes nearly four hours in each direction. However there are future plans for the service to be extended to Newton, Kansas (an extension endorsed by both Oklahoma City and Dodge City) as well as to increase the frequency.
2:28 walking up to the platform or under the tracks while you hear the bell and the train passing overhead is an amazing feeling. Also, not sure why they waited so long to repaint the older bombardier cars to the new colors.
I love the San Bernardino line. It’s my number 1 favorite Metrolink line. It’s great to hear the horns from a distance and I’m glad it has weekend service. The only thing I don’t like is the hourly service, last I checked, for weekend service on the SB Line
Your videos remind me of this show called California's Gold & Visiting with Huell Howser. Your & Huell's personalities are nothing alike but the vibe to your videos/episodes feel similar to me. Thanks for the video.
EXCELLENT VIDEOS!!! I never knew how much I loved trains until now with my binge watching. I think this could be a great staycation plan for me to try. Keep up the good work!!! I subscribed. ❤
This was my commute line when I rode Metrolink to El Monte & Los Angeles for work back in the mid to late 1990s. I rode from both the Claremont and Montclair stations in a 7 year period. It would be interesting to see a direct service tunnel line to the Ontario Airport, something we needed, even 25-plus years ago. Now I appreciate commuter rail travel more than ever, considering I live two states away in Southern Idaho, roughly 2 hours between two major airport cities (Boise, ID and Salt Lake City, UT) near Twin Falls, Idaho. We could really use a long-distance commuter rail line here. The idea has been floated several times and is only now gaining traction because of explosive population growth in our state over the last 5 years. Thom-you did a great video on my former commuter line-job well done!
I used to live in the William mead projects right by Union station...I want to go back and ride the train ...as a kid we would ride on the side of the trains across the LA river and then back across to the projects ...good times
This is a very nice video! I ride the Metrolink trains quite frequently from San Bernardino, where I live, into Los Angeles Union Station. As a matter of fact, I just rode this past Saturday afternoon. Like you said, it's quite a bargain pricewise to ride the train roundtrip from San Berdoo to L.A. either during the week or on the weekend. You are nice and relaxed because they are doing the driving and you're not dealing with all of the stresses in driving on the mostly gridlocked freeways getting there. Plus the train cars are rather comfortable and reasonable clean. The only drawback to riding the train is once you reach your destination, you are on foot unless you either order an Uber or Lyft or ride the other train system known as the Metro Rail Line or call a taxicab or ride a bus. It's pretty cool that they have restrooms and drinking water on the trains as well. That's good service for a commuter train! I did not know that Arrow Rail runs one train from Redlands to Los Angeles. I'll have to catch one to see how the ride is. I rode the Antelope Valley route into Lancaster for the first time earlier this year around March or April. That was very enjoyable! Once again, I enjoyed your video! Keep them coming!
Very soon (or eventually, considering this is the USA) you'll be able to take 2-3 trains to get to Union Station, though the most direct route will still be the LAX Flyaway. Also LA Union Station has major plans for redevelopment, Where the underground walkway will be expanded with storefronts and seating, and special concourse for high-speed trains. Whenever that construction starts is beyond me...
I live in Los Angeles too. As far back as 13 years ago I've been hearing about new development and renovations to expand and redesign LA Union Station. Nothing yet hehe.
I think that’s ridiculous. Train stations should be public places of gathering and refuge. It’s not like it’s only Amtrak passengers that use this building. But our lawmakers avoid actually addressing issues that would get at the root causes of homelessness and drug addiction, so we all accept that even train the traditionally public main halls of train stations become exclusive areas.
Those seats actually are not only for Amtrak Passengers, if you have a Metrolink ticket you can show it to the attendant and they will let you into the area so that you can sit while you wait for your train.
I believe the main idea is to keep homeless people from camping there. The homelessness problem is quite serious around downtown Los Angeles. It's obvious that much more needs to be done for the homeless, but allowing them to live at Union Station is not a viable solution. Crime and public health issues would inevitably result.
The best station area along the line is Claremont Village, which is extremely walkable and which has been for a very long time. The village offers blocks and blocks of shops, restaurants, and attractions in addition to the Claremont Colleges.
In fact, the San Bernardino Line probably ought to be renamed the "Claremont Line" in order to help people distinguish it from other Metrolink lines, which terminate in San Bernardino.
Great video, Thom. With all the railfan content on RUclips, your professional yet fun videos stand apart and above. FYI, LA Union Station is one of my two favorite Amtrak Stations. Have you ever done a roomette/room from LA to Seattle on the Coast Starlight yet? If not, be sure to put that on your list.
@Trains Are Awesome when going North, try and sit (or get a roomette) facing West (left side). But don't forget to take a peek out the other side to see SpaceX launch pads too
@@SteveInNEPA1 Those launch pads are inside Vandenburg AFB, which is located right on the coastline in San Luis Obispo County. I rode the Coast Starlight late last June, and I can also vouch for the stunning natural beauty of that entire coastal area between Camarillo and just south of San Luis Obispo. I'd like to add that the Coast Starlight travels along that stretch in the afternoon, and in both directions. The Amtrak Surfliners also run on the same track as they go between San Luis Obispo and San Diego.
It will be nice for Brightline West to use MetroLink line to bypass MetroLink stations and come down to Los Angeles Union Station from Rancho Cucamonga, after coming down from Las Vegas NV. It will be great to create another line to San Diego from Rancho Cucamonga to bring more passengers to HSR ridership.
Great video as always. Lately Metrolink has really doubled down on their goal of becoming a true regional rail system. I do hope they eventually double track the entire San Bernardino line - it would greatly increase capacity and when the Link Union Station project is (eventually) finished it would allow the possibility of running trains from San Bernadino & the Inland Empire straight through to Lancaster, Burbank, or Ventura with no transfers. Even better, Metrolink should electrify the entire line too which, among other things, would pave the way towards having Brightline West run all the way to Union Station.
Awesome Presentation! I used to live ten blocks from the Upland Station. I now live in Columbus, Ohio. Amtrak service to Cinncinati and Cleveland will begin in a few years. Can't Wait!!!
Rightfully, Brightline ought to be terminating at San Bernardino's central station where multiple Metrolink lines converge with the sbX and Arrow transitways and with other modes and lines. This location is also the optional station site in San Bernardino for California High-Speed Rail service to and from L.A. in 30 minutes, San Diego in 50, and Ontario International Airport in ten. Additionally, San Bernardino International Airport is only 1.5 miles to the East, so air-rail integration ought to be very easy. The Federal Railroad Administration has identified only one intersection of two "core express" high-speed rail corridors in the Southwest U.S., and that site is in San Bernardino (Los Angeles-to-Phoenix and San Diego-to-Las Vegas).
@Thom-TRA , the alignment the California High-Speed Rail Authority has chosen does not connect with Brightline. The Authority is sending the trains along a route that runs south of the 10 freeway and that connects directly with Ontario International Airport's passenger terminals.
Additionally, the Tesla tunnels Elon Musk has proposed are two small to accommodate trains. The tunnels would be strictly for electric and rubber-tired vehicles running within a relatively narrow diameter. Virtually no public official in the region supports the Tesla tunnels, and the ones that have been constructed in Las Vegas have been frought with problems. So, I am not expecting the S.B. County Transportation Authority to put any tax dollars into the idea. The need for grade separation just does not exist. The B.R.T. being developed for the corridor couldn't even qualify for dedicated lanes.
Nice. At 13:01 you saw F59PHR 868 which was a formerly retired locomotive back from the dead. I've ridden the san bernadino line a few times and it's always been cool except for a few small delays.
@@Thom-TRA Metrolink was in an equipment crisis, with F125 locomotives breaking down all the time. 868 and 856 were always used as spare locomotives and switchers, until the crisis got really bad and they brought back F59PHRs 873 and 852, so now there is 4 currently out
It’s the Gold line which will currently runs from LA to Azusa . The Pomona north portion of gold line will open 2025. The Montclair extension will be finished in 2028. Blue line A runs Downtown La to Long Beach
@@deerene actually the Gold Line technically no longer exists as such. Because the Regional Connector is now open, the A line (Blue ) now runs all the way from Long Beach to Azusa. The A line is now the world’s longest single light rail line and is gonna get even longer when extensions open.
Great video. I agree wholheartedly about the MBTA Commuter Rail, So much potential for the purple and silver to be one of the best systems with frequent all-day service with electrification and modern European EMU stock replacing the ye-oldie grossly overwheight super slow accelerating push-pull sets.
Ditto. I do think that it's trending that way. They're currently cleaning up the mess that years of operational and maintenance neglect has wrought on the whole MBTA system, and the new administration has committed to the East-West rail project (which will expand rail service between Boston and Albany, NY via Springfield and Pittsfield, likely operated by Amtrak, but it will be a MassDOT project). I think the likely upcoming reconstitution and replacement of the MBTA's governing board (including the addition of members who actually seem interested in fulfilling the T's mission) will make a difference in the near future.
Oh. The reason why the seating area is fenced off inside the Los Angeles Union Station is that area is reserved for train riding passengers only. There is a 2-hour limit for people to sit there and you must show your ticket to the security guard before you can enter and sit. That station has a bit of a problem with homeless people coming in there and either sitting or sleeping there for long periods of time, so they implemented this procedure to help alleviate this problem.
I know this is a year old, but I frequently ride the train from Fontana to Rancho Cucamonga I don't own a car, I ride a bicycle so being able to take my bike aboard the train and then ride to my destination is really nice, I live about 2 miles from the Fontana Train Depot and my destination from The Rancho Station is usually 2-3 miles, so it an easy ride. I I can ride the 10-14 miles from my house in Fontana to Rancho Cucamonga, there is a very nice walking-bicycle trail that goes from Rialto to Claremont the Pacific Electric Trail, but the Train makes the trip faster and more interesting, the cost for a round trip ticket is very reasonable around 8-9 dollars, an Uber ride is around 25-30 depending on time of day. The name Rancho Cucamonga came about around 1977, there were three unincorporated cites, Cucamonga, Alta Loma and Etiwanda, they merge to incorporate and it became Rancho Cucamonga, although some people who live up on the north side town where Alta Loma is still say they live in Alta Loma. The area once had one of the largest Grape Vineyards around, Grape Vineyards used to stretch from Ontario right up to the Mountains.
San Bernardino line should be able to make 20 min frequencies work with the single track. If it was a bit better setup 15 mins could be on the table. Right now the goal for most metrolink lines is all day 30 min service by 2028 for the games. The draft 2023 state rail plan just came out
While I would definitely be in favor of eliminating one or more freeway lanes, a second set of tracks might be able to be stacked on top of the current set.
That stretch of the 10 freeway is congested enough to force the car traffic to move slowly, so wide lanes may be unnecessary. Conceivably, the lanes could be narrowed.
The San Bernardino train was the first Metrolink train I took as my first of many lines I would use to travel LA County. I plan to take the Orange County line, then take the Inland Empire line to check out the south to southeast area next time during the weekends, thanks to the weekend day pass.
I know bringing back all of the pacific electric network is not possible but if the pacific electric lines still existed it could help with capacity. Plus pacific electric had their own right of way on most of their lines. I’ve went by rancho cucamonga station multiple times and I’ve never seen a train there.
Those chairs that were sectioned off with orange barricades, are a place for Amtrak passengers to sit if they don't have access to the lounge. There is a security guard standing at the entrance keeping non Amtrak people out. I had a lay over and the Metropolitan Lounge closes at 10p so I ended up camping out in those old antique chairs. The information desk gave me a wristband so I could enter that area.
Great vid. I have just returned from my US train trip. I spent a few days in LA and rode Metrolink to Simi Valley and Fullerton though on each trip I had to set off early morning due to a complete lack of later morning trains. I rode the El Monte bus route after seeing your other vid and quite a few of the Metro lines as I visited various locations. Great value on the Metro where a week pass was just over $14 (currently half normal price) but as I was not there at the weekend I could not take advantage of the $10 Metrolink ticket which would have been great value. Overall a good network with much more potential.
Loved this line: "Basically it just feels kind of wrong to be in this large, globally significant metro area and to be on a diesel train running over a single-track line." Couldn't agree more. At least in my area (not LA), it seems like every rail project (whether light rail or heavy rail) initially receives a lot of skepticism from "the public" (whoever these people are), so the transit agency is forced to put together a scrappy system on a tight budget. Every time, ridership massively exceeds expectations, but then runs into issues because they didn't double track enough, limiting frequency and causing reliability problems. This creates a really unfortunate self-fulfilling prophecy problem, where the naysayers in won't give money to these projects because they see the problems they run into, but a lot of the problems could have been avoided in the first place if we had quit building 7 lane freeways and put just a bit more effort into rail expansion projects. I'm probably just a bit grumpy though because the MP36PH-3C that pulled me to work today seemed particularly sooty and smoky today.
Almost like it’s all built to fail. Don’t underestimate how a small group of people and companies can be seen as the entire “public.” On a side note, what area are you from?
@@Thom-TRA SLC, UT. The light rail system was originally built in 1999 as part of the preparations for the 2002 Olympics and received a lot of skepticism. UTA went through some rough management times, but somehow came through on the other side with a system that isn't completely terrible. FrontRunner tries to run every 30 minutes during peak weekday times, but the large amount of single tracked sections give them very little room for error. I believe that they did finally get funding to add additional double track sections, which would help a lot.
Another interesting and informative video!!! We’ve taken Amtrak from Union Station and it’s gorgeous!!! Thank you for highlighting this amazing station!!!
hey at some point in time, can you go from bob hope airport train station to LA union station by Metrolink. TIP: i would recommend flying into Burbank bob hope airport if you are going to do this, i would also recommend flying into bob hope using southwest airlines because they are the most frequent airline to fly into that airport
Huh i didn't know they checked ticket at the door now, before when I used to ride their trains on the weekend at a random station police officers would board the train and check tickets.
The seats are restricted to keep homeless people from overruning the waiting room. The biggest obstacle to expansion is political disagreement and distrust among the 5 counties served by Metrolink. It took a decade to get agreement to extend Metrolink to downtown San Bernadino, a city gutted by the loss of railroad and steel industry jobs.
The Foothill Light Rail Extension will eventually make it all the way out to Montclair. So it would be a one seat ride from San Bernardino County all the way to Santa Monica... Did you see the historic Claremont Station? Claremont itself is a beautiful town.
I had family that lived in what is now Rancho Cucamunga. Their town used to be called Alta Loma, and they merged a whole bunch of small towns to form Rancho. I think it was 1980s but not sure. I've been there twice, and the first time, when I told them I would ride my bike down to train station and take train to Union, then Flyaway to airport, they didn't beleive it could be done. (this allowed me to buy bike box at Amtrak for the flight home 🙂 My cousin was driven by them to airport, and despite my stop at Amtrak to find the place where I could buy the bike (baggage handling is a floor above the main floor!) I didn't get to airport much later than they did. (but then had to pack my bike etc). The second time, I was at a hotel and had less contact with them and they didn't offer to drive me because they knew of the train but they never considered taking it. BTW, I doubt very much that this Brightline thing will happen. They want government to finance half of it, and once they start to see the grade the i-15 takes up Cajun pass ( UP and BNSF take a circuitous route to bypass higher mountains that the i-15 goes over in a straight line( I suspect the project will stall because they realise they will have to tunnel under the i-15. Consider a runaway train going down at 300kmh and the road curves ahead.
I mean, with all environmental reviews cleared and construction slated to begin soon, I’m pretty sure they’ve considered the grade of the pass. It’s been done in other countries before too.
The only Arrow 💘 train I have heard of is the Red Arrow which travels between Moscow and Leningrad but good luck with getting that one under the belt at the moment!Those on train announcements are very stentorian and shrill.
To say that this line is former Pacific Electric is an oversimplification, but you knew that and didn't want to get into such minute detail during your video where time is precious, especially since you knew some rivet-counting foamer would fill in the details. Well, here I am. Once out of LAUS/Mission interlocking area, from around milepost 1.3 to MP 12.3 (before El Monte) you are on the former PE. From MP 12.3 to MP 18.9 (Baldwin Park) is former Southern Pacific trackage that never saw overhead wire. The PE is regained from MP 18.9 to MP 32.3 (before Claremont) although a lot of it was built by SP. Then it's a former Santa Fe route for the remaining 25 miles into Downtown San Bernardino.
Who owns the tracks from LA River to Union Station now? the Garmin maps not know for accuracy of railroad onwershop but they do show it becoming Union Pacific after going up Rio Hondo river and eaching east to El Monte. Then after crossing San Gabriel River turns north on "Los Angeles County Metropolitan Tra until just after Baldwin Park when tracks head east again, this time onwed by Metrolink. (with spur going north onwed by Union Pacific which is a dead end so I assume UP has trackage rights to access some commercial customer(s) there. Metrolink continues to Central Ave just past Monclair where it become BNSF tracks. And Rancho Cucamunga, thre are a few spurs to reach industrial customers. Some freight yards just west of Cherry Ave. At San Bernadino Depot which is just south of big BNSF yard, I can see the flyover to let Metrolink train reach southernmost track, but Garmin labels it as BNSF trackl. After the station, the tracks are "Southern California Regional Rail a" Does Metrolink really own everything all the way to San Bernadino? How long ago would they have acquired the tracks that Garmin says is BNSF? Ir is this a case of double track with 1 track onwed by BNSF and the other by Metrolink/state ? Is single tracking the only obstacle to higher frequencies, or do freight companies have impediments to it?
@@jfmezei Metrolink (SCRRA) San Bernardino Line trains operate on Metrolink-SCRRA tracks from LAUS to DT San Bernardino. There is no portion of the San Bernardino Line that's controlled by either UP or BNSF. SCRRA has all the LAUS station trackage as well as the tracks that line both sides of the LA River. From the Rio Hondo to the San Gabriel River SCRRA parallels UP's Alhambra Sub, and even has a flyover to get from the south side of the UP track to the north side, enabling SCRRA to diverge northeast towards Baldwin Park over a track on which UP has rights to service a few spurs. The changeover to former the former Santa Fe line (with BNSF retaining trackage rights) occurs west of Claremont station. Just prior to the San Bernardino Depot an SCRRA flyover keeps Metrolink trains from interfering with the BNSF. SCRRA cobbled together this route in the early 1990s, purchasing the right of ways from SP and the AT&SF.
@@drgwdrgw Thanks for explanation. I can see how Garmin maps might show the predominent railway where on track i Metrolink and one is UP. But if change in onwership on BNSF happened in the 1990s, hard to understand how Garmin would still show the tracks at say Rancho Cucamunga to still be BNSF. So their source of data for track onwership is wrong. Wonder if they got data from BNSF which includes the metrolink tracks as being part of BNSF network (since they have trackage rights) so Garmin put BNSF onwership ahead of metrolink claiming the tracks as theirs. Who does the signaling between LAUS and San Bernadino? does Metrolink have its own systems to run CTC on the line and drive signal lights and switches, or subcontracts with different railroads?
Best would probably be Septa or the Long Island Railroad. Worst… idk. Maybe the WeGo Star in Nashville. Please note I haven’t been on either LIRR or WeGo yet.
I can't answer my own question because the closest I've ever got to the US is Melbourne, Australia. But I can say that I don't like the current WeGo Star livery (I prefer to the original Music City Star livery).
I used to use that to commute to downtown LA. Yeah the frequency could use an improvement. You miss your train and you're waiting an hour. When I lived in Long Beach and used the Blue Line to get to downtown, if I missed it I only had to wait 8 minutes for the next one. The other major con is about Union Station itself, it's not located in the middle of downtown LA itself, so you have to transfer to the Red Line to get to the offices for work. The hike from the Metrolink tracks down to the Red Line 2x every day can really wear you out. (I'm only saying cons, but overall I love the Metrolink service)
The solution to running better frequencies and dealing with the long stretch of single track in the narrow right-of-way along the I-10 freeway is this: Convince Union Pacific into letting some Metrolink trains use their Alhambra Subdivision from CP Yuma Jct (Mission Tower area, just outside LAUS) up to CP Bassett, where trains can switch onto Metrolink. Using this routing the stations of CSULA and El Monte will be bypassed but the few trains going this way can be noted in the public timetable.
That sounds like a good plan, but I'm sure that UP will come up with excuses to justify not doing it. And, it seems like UP doesn't even run many trains during the daytime anymore. I live just over a mile from the mainline through Alhambra, and I frequently hear locomotive horns late at night. UP tends to run long trains in general, which is a practice that could be an obstacle for Metrolink.
Yes, they should send the express trains that way for sure. A lot of public money went into that San Gabriel Trench so we really should demand more out of it than the single-track that UP currently operates. On the other hand, Metrolink isy working on extending the Marengo and El Monte sidings which sandwich the freeway portion so its impact is going to be a bit more minimized, especially since it does have a short siding in the middle. The other thing they could contemplate is raising the speed there to 90 MPH (I doubt 110 would realistically make sense) which in conjunction with the double-tracking projects at the ends, should be palatable enough for a bit more frequent service. Finally, they could widen most of the freeway portion to two tracks without taking away freeway lanes by instead removing parking on the streets that are on the other side of the sound walls. While I know salivating over removing freeway lanes is a favorite dream of a lot of people, I do believe it is even more outrageous that parking for houses with driveways would be prioritized over a regional train or the regional road connection the freeway provides. Nix the parking.
When the Brightline one day opens, it would make sense to electrify the line to provide service every 30 min or better through the day. If and when the Antelope Valley line gets electrified for HSR, and through tracks at Union Station open, there could be a great medium distance electrified service in the LA metro area! That being said, what's the chance all this gets built before the 2050's?🤷♂️ For that single track bottleneck, I took a quick look in Google earth and it seems there's even no room for them to widen the highway to add another track in the median. But who knows, maybe by the 2050s people will be willing to sacrifice a single lane if a 12 lane highway?🙄
Isn't the new Brightline electric? Maglev? I think since this will be built by a private company without all the bureaucracy that comes wit states/counties, it will be built faster. At least faster than the current California high speed rail. lol
@@Thom-TRA Speaking of the California High Speed project. Do you have any insight on it or have any insider info on it's progress? Any personal thoughts?
@@FEARNoMore no insider info but my personal thoughts are that despite the high cost overruns, it’s a necessary project that will bring a lot of benefits to the region. Hopefully it will be a blueprint for the US.
10:36 I have no idea if this is feasible but, if Metrolink can't build dual track outward in the space allotted in the highway medium, could they build vertically? Constructing a viaduct to carry the new track above the existing track ROW. Stacked tracks had been done before however that was in the form of the Barcelona Metro in a single bored tunnel rather then a full sized double decker locomotive in open air.
@@Thom-TRA they blame dispatchers for being late or its the freight railroads fault or track work or some dumb ass having a death wish jumping in front then the family hires some A Hole lawyer looking for a payday
@@Thom-TRA why are they never on time ? i tried to go to san deigo 9 am train got there like 30 mns before sucker was gonna be 4 hours late nobody could tell me i gave up and went back home to bed
Thank you for this great video ! I thoroughly enjoyed your description of Union Station, and the Metrolink train. Hopefully service frequency will be increased, but as you rightly say, the track needs to be doubled to achieve that. I also hope you can ride behind one of the new F125 locomotives ! Many thanks.
Great review of the SB line. Last I heard the single track section in the median of the freeway is being considered for double track. The idea behind it is to not only increase frequency but to also allow for high speed rail to one day use it for phase 2 of the project to San Diego. The SB line has one of the highest frequency’s of service on the whole Metrolink system. However, score looks to improve frequency times to 30 min in each direction on all lines.
Did you win the lottery or something to travel to all these places on train especially San Bernardino only someone that would win the lottery would want to go to San Bernardino that's my take
Love your vidoes and your relaxed way of presenting them Thom! In this day and age it is really is pathetic that there is only a single way track. Maybe build a double eck track. When will the usa catch up with europe - sadly never when politics gets involved.
I was born in 1956 and raised in the Los Angeles area but my parents were from Chicago and that’s where my grandparents and the rest of the relatives lived. My dad died when I was only two years old. From then and into the early 1960s, my recently widowed mother would schlep my two older sisters and me (and I assume a ton of luggage) to LA’s Union Station for an annual summer trip back to Chicago to visit the family. The trips on the train were a great adventure for a little kid like me. I’ll always remember that we took the Santa Fe El Capitan (except for that one year we returned on the original California Zephyr. That’s another story!) and that it was already dark as the train pulled out of Union Station. Researching old schedules shows that there was an 8:00 PM departure and that we would be arriving at Chicago Dearborn Station approximately 40 hours later. The El Capitan was an all coach train that pretty much followed the same schedule as the more famous Super Chief. The bi-level El Capitan cars were the prototype for today’s Amtrak Superliner cars. Departing LA Union Station, the El Capitan and the Super Chief used Santa Fe’s Pasadena line. These trains stopped Pasadena (celebrities liked to board the Super Chief in Pasadena to avoid the crowds and the paparazzi) and then onto San Bernardino. Early “El Caps” made an additional stop in Pomona but that stop was eventually eliminated. Amtrak continued to use this routing with the renamed Southwest Chief until 1993. The routing was made available to the Metro Gold Line and to MetroLink. As you said, the current Southwest Chief runs through Fullerton and Riverside and eventually to San Bernardino. And of course, Dearborn Station is now a shopping mall or food court or whatever, with a park where boarding platforms used to be. Before I go, I must mention that if you happen to be riding the Metra Rock Island Beverly Branch, my grandparents’ house was just two blocks away from the 95th Street-Beverly Hills station. When we were kids, we took the Rock Island into Chicago. One of the trains I got to ride on was one of the Rock Island’s GM Aerotrains! Anyway, thanks again Thom, for sharing your love of trains. I should have stayed with trains but the timing was wrong when picking career paths. Today, I fix airplanes for United Airlines. I’m still involved in transportation so I’m sure that my train experience helped to steer me toward what I do today.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad. Glad the trains bring back fond memories. I never knew the Chief used to run through Pasadena! And your job at United sounds awesome, very important stuff!
I can't wait for the rail improvements coming; 30 minute trains 24/7 would be amazing you could get anywhere in so cal or even out to vegas on the bright line in less than an hour. if i never have to get on the 91 or the 101 freeway at rush hour again I wouldn't miss it. I hope in a few years everyone is riding e bikes and dumping the pay to play toll lanes from hell 12 lanes of traffic freeway traffic and nobody is moving. one more rail line and 10 more locomotives would revolutionize this states transportation and we haven't even installed high speed or 2 way electric trains. SMH
I wish they would have the bright line train go all the way to Los Angeles Union station. I'm not from there I've been there a couple few times. But you know just to make it so that they could really have connections that'd be a good thing. Take a connect up with the red line and all the other light rail lines and take people with a connection to Hollywood and places like that
Thanks for riding our San Bernardino line train.
Thank you for commenting!
How can I travel with Metrolink from south perris to Norwalk Santa Fe Springs?.
@@melomejia192 91/ Perris Valley Line!
I used to live in Rancho Cucamonga and was a frequent rider of the San Bernardino line to LA. This video made me all nostalgic, seeing some familiar sights, (even if they're not the most scenic in So Cal.) One thing I did like about the section that runs along the 10 was seeing everyone stuck in traffic while you're cruising along at 70mph. I do wish Metrolink would improve frequency along this line though, even back in the late 2000's there were only a handful of convenient weekend trains.
I take the CTA Blue Line in Chicago every day, also in the highway median. Train goes painstakingly slow sometimes, but we still always whizz past traffic!
Metrolink is working on upgrades to the entire network, adding additional station platforms and new track sidings for trains to pass by on, with the goal of achieving 30 minute all day frequency on all lines by 2028. look up Metrolink SCORE if you wanna find more info, but i'm honestly pretty happy about the upgrades as a whole!
San Berdoo is pretty crummy in some parts, but the mountainside with the snow on its peaks in winter just makes up for it. Beautiful part of the IE, in my opinion
one way they can improve frequency is by double-tracking most of the route. Some of the stations and route are single-tracked.
One of the interesting new developments along this line is the fact that L.A. Metro's (Blue) A Line (formerly the Gold Line) is being extended to the North Pomona station, and that service is scheduled to become available by the end of this year.
When the extension opens, passengers between San Bernardino and Pasadena will be able to transfer between the two lines without having to go to L.A. Union Station.
The Orange County Transportation Commission initiated the Amtrak-operated Orange County Commuter in early 1990, running between Los Angeles and San Juan Capistrano, but a more comprehensive approach was deemed necessary. Senate Bill 1402 was signed into law on May 25, 1990, which directed local transportation authorities to establish a regional plan for commuter rail by the year's end
In 1990, 175 miles of tracks were purchased by agencies as well as the rights for LA Union Station. Metrolink would begin operations in 1992 under contracted operation by Amtrak with the Ventura, Santa Clarita (now the Antelope Valley), and San Bernardino Lines. In 1993, service was expanded to include the Riverside Line and the following year the Orange County Line was conveyed from Amtrak branding to Metrolink. The Inland Empire-Orange County Line opened in 1995, and more trains on the Orange County service were funded. The 91 Line opened in 2002
This is currently the only entire metrolink line with halfway decent service, the trunk line out to Burbank is similar but it’s run by many branches
Yeah Metrolink has a decent network just terrible service
That Flyaway bus saved my life. The Sunset Limited I was on was almost 6 hours late getting into L.A, leaving me an hour and fifteen minutes to catch my flight at LAX. Best 10 bucks i've ever spent. Got to the airport with 45 minutes to spare
Thanks for this vid! This made me very nostalgic. Up until covid, the SB line was my commute into work everyday. I would board the Metrolink in Baldwin Park (I live right off the 10 frwy, ps, no chance they remove lanes, Eastbound traffic after work hours is one of the worst in LA, and that's with two Express Lanes.) and take that into Union Station. I never realized how clutch the one free transfer Metrolink provides was, as I would go downstairs and ride the Metro B (red) line into Hollywood/Vine. I hope you come back to Los Angeles when our Regional Connector opens, from the looks of it they are working on the finishing touches. ETA Summer 2023
I would extend Arrow from San Bernardino's central station to downtown Riverside, the University of California at Riverside, and Perris by using some of the unused rights of way in Highgrove.
Based on the SCORE project for Metrolink, the plan for the San Bernardino Line is to have 2 trains an hour (each way I assume). That is less than their plans between Anaheim, LA, and the Valley, but it is something (plus will increase frequency to SB through Riverside and Fullerton). Looking at the map, it's about 9-10 miles of single track between El Monte and where the double track resumes outside of Union Station, with a siding just east of Cal State LA. Perhaps a workaround is working with Union Pacific on their tracks that go from El Monte to Union Station, but through Alhambra and San Gabriel (and maybe adding stations there). The only issue is that it's Union Pacific (not exactly passenger rail friendly) and would skip the Cal State LA station. Another would be to find a little extra room somewhere to build a siding so that a train can wait briefly for the opposite train. It's not great but it is workable.
Good luck ever getting Union Pacific Railroad to cooperate with a passenger rail project. This is the same railroad that laid off nearly all of its security staff during the pandemic and then tried to blame local law enforcement agencies as its trains got looted outside the container yard near Lincoln Heights. This is also the same railroad that allows many of its locomotives to become filthy and get tagged all over. It's not a good look, but I guess UP management is OK with it as long as the company and its shareholders are making big profits.
Perhaps they could squeeze in sidings by the MTA El Monte station or over in the Bassett area, where Union Pacific has a substantial right-of-way.
@@ronaldvrooman9695 UP in California has worked reasonably well on some projects and refused to on others. Capital corridor is all on their trackage and that’s got the best OTP of any mainline rail service. On others though they refuse to work with the state likely trying to get trains over Tehachapi or more between Stockton and Sacramento on their mainline.
@@gdrriley420 You make a good point there. The Capitol Corridor is an example of cooperation between Amtrak, the State of California, and Union Pacific. I saw several of those trains between Sacramento and the Bay Area on my return trip to L.A... On the downside, my northbound Coast Starlight was an hour late getting into Portland, OR because we had to wait for three UP freight trains on that last stretch of track between Salem and Portland.
At one time regular trains carried people, guess it never paned out you don't see them anymore. When you get to where your going, you have no ride then you can expect more cost to travel.
Notice how it says Heartland Flyer on the locomotive at 3:34? The Heartland Flyer is actually a route that started in June 1999 between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, so that locomotive is far from home! It’s currently a daily round trip service with one train in the morning to Fort Worth and then back to Oklahoma City during the afternoon rush. The journey is 206 miles and takes nearly four hours in each direction. However there are future plans for the service to be extended to Newton, Kansas (an extension endorsed by both Oklahoma City and Dodge City) as well as to increase the frequency.
Yep, when I saw the Heartland Flyer locomotive I knew I had to film it
2:28 walking up to the platform or under the tracks while you hear the bell and the train passing overhead is an amazing feeling. Also, not sure why they waited so long to repaint the older bombardier cars to the new colors.
I love the San Bernardino line. It’s my number 1 favorite Metrolink line. It’s great to hear the horns from a distance and I’m glad it has weekend service. The only thing I don’t like is the hourly service, last I checked, for weekend service on the SB Line
Your videos remind me of this show called California's Gold & Visiting with Huell Howser. Your & Huell's personalities are nothing alike but the vibe to your videos/episodes feel similar to me. Thanks for the video.
EXCELLENT VIDEOS!!! I never knew how much I loved trains until now with my binge watching. I think this could be a great staycation plan for me to try. Keep up the good work!!! I subscribed. ❤
This was my commute line when I rode Metrolink to El Monte & Los Angeles for work back in the mid to late 1990s. I rode from both the Claremont and Montclair stations in a 7 year period. It would be interesting to see a direct service tunnel line to the Ontario Airport, something we needed, even 25-plus years ago. Now I appreciate commuter rail travel more than ever, considering I live two states away in Southern Idaho, roughly 2 hours between two major airport cities (Boise, ID and Salt Lake City, UT) near Twin Falls, Idaho. We could really use a long-distance commuter rail line here. The idea has been floated several times and is only now gaining traction because of explosive population growth in our state over the last 5 years.
Thom-you did a great video on my former commuter line-job well done!
Thank you! I’m looking forward to seeing the improvements that Metrolink introduces
I used to live in the William mead projects right by Union station...I want to go back and ride the train ...as a kid we would ride on the side of the trains across the LA river and then back across to the projects ...good times
Hope you get a chance soon!
This is a very nice video! I ride the Metrolink trains quite frequently from San Bernardino, where I live, into Los Angeles Union Station. As a matter of fact, I just rode this past Saturday afternoon. Like you said, it's quite a bargain pricewise to ride the train roundtrip from San Berdoo to L.A. either during the week or on the weekend. You are nice and relaxed because they are doing the driving and you're not dealing with all of the stresses in driving on the mostly gridlocked freeways getting there. Plus the train cars are rather comfortable and reasonable clean. The only drawback to riding the train is once you reach your destination, you are on foot unless you either order an Uber or Lyft or ride the other train system known as the Metro Rail Line or call a taxicab or ride a bus. It's pretty cool that they have restrooms and drinking water on the trains as well. That's good service for a commuter train! I did not know that Arrow Rail runs one train from Redlands to Los Angeles. I'll have to catch one to see how the ride is. I rode the Antelope Valley route into Lancaster for the first time earlier this year around March or April. That was very enjoyable! Once again, I enjoyed your video! Keep them coming!
You picked a good ride, She's my favorite conductor I'm always on her train in the afternoons during the week.
Glad to hear it!
I really don't mind the old school things some passenger trains havent upgraded keeping it retro you know
Very soon (or eventually, considering this is the USA) you'll be able to take 2-3 trains to get to Union Station, though the most direct route will still be the LAX Flyaway.
Also LA Union Station has major plans for redevelopment, Where the underground walkway will be expanded with storefronts and seating, and special concourse for high-speed trains. Whenever that construction starts is beyond me...
I live in Los Angeles too. As far back as 13 years ago I've been hearing about new development and renovations to expand and redesign LA Union Station. Nothing yet hehe.
The seats are fenced off so that the Amtrak staff can make sure that only people taking Amtrak trains sit in the waiting area
I think that’s ridiculous. Train stations should be public places of gathering and refuge. It’s not like it’s only Amtrak passengers that use this building.
But our lawmakers avoid actually addressing issues that would get at the root causes of homelessness and drug addiction, so we all accept that even train the traditionally public main halls of train stations become exclusive areas.
That’s stupid. Just build extra seating in the vast hall. That way there’s be enough seats for all travelers in the station
@@Thom-TRA you can try telling this to Amtrak, but they’ll probably give us a similar stupid reason like that
Those seats actually are not only for Amtrak Passengers, if you have a Metrolink ticket you can show it to the attendant and they will let you into the area so that you can sit while you wait for your train.
I believe the main idea is to keep homeless people from camping there. The homelessness problem is quite serious around downtown Los Angeles. It's obvious that much more needs to be done for the homeless, but allowing them to live at Union Station is not a viable solution. Crime and public health issues would inevitably result.
The best station area along the line is Claremont Village, which is extremely walkable and which has been for a very long time. The village offers blocks and blocks of shops, restaurants, and attractions in addition to the Claremont Colleges.
In fact, the San Bernardino Line probably ought to be renamed the "Claremont Line" in order to help people distinguish it from other Metrolink lines, which terminate in San Bernardino.
Will have to check it out someday
Great video, Thom. With all the railfan content on RUclips, your professional yet fun videos stand apart and above.
FYI, LA Union Station is one of my two favorite Amtrak Stations. Have you ever done a roomette/room from LA to Seattle on the Coast Starlight yet? If not, be sure to put that on your list.
I’m glad you enjoy what I make! Will be doing the CS this summer!
@Trains Are Awesome when going North, try and sit (or get a roomette) facing West (left side). But don't forget to take a peek out the other side to see SpaceX launch pads too
@@SteveInNEPA1 I will be taking it from Oakland Sadly
@@SteveInNEPA1 Those launch pads are inside Vandenburg AFB, which is located right on the coastline in San Luis Obispo County. I rode the Coast Starlight late last June, and I can also vouch for the stunning natural beauty of that entire coastal area between Camarillo and just south of San Luis Obispo. I'd like to add that the Coast Starlight travels along that stretch in the afternoon, and in both directions. The Amtrak Surfliners also run on the same track as they go between San Luis Obispo and San Diego.
It will be nice for Brightline West to use MetroLink line to bypass MetroLink stations and come down to Los Angeles Union Station from Rancho Cucamonga, after coming down from Las Vegas NV. It will be great to create another line to San Diego from Rancho Cucamonga to bring more passengers to HSR ridership.
Another great video! Exciting plans for the area, for sure. I love the “Thom Tests Toilets” title…nice alliteration, too!
I’ll Always Alliterate
Great video as always. Lately Metrolink has really doubled down on their goal of becoming a true regional rail system. I do hope they eventually double track the entire San Bernardino line - it would greatly increase capacity and when the Link Union Station project is (eventually) finished it would allow the possibility of running trains from San Bernadino & the Inland Empire straight through to Lancaster, Burbank, or Ventura with no transfers. Even better, Metrolink should electrify the entire line too which, among other things, would pave the way towards having Brightline West run all the way to Union Station.
I’m reasonably optimistic about Metrolink’s future
Fun video. Thanks! Love the matching shirt. Nice touch! 😊
Awesome Presentation! I used to live ten blocks from the Upland Station. I now live in Columbus, Ohio. Amtrak service to Cinncinati and Cleveland will begin in a few years. Can't Wait!!!
It’s exciting that Ohio is finally getting some decent train service! Long overdue
Rightfully, Brightline ought to be terminating at San Bernardino's central station where multiple Metrolink lines converge with the sbX and Arrow transitways and with other modes and lines.
This location is also the optional station site in San Bernardino for California High-Speed Rail service to and from L.A. in 30 minutes, San Diego in 50, and Ontario International Airport in ten.
Additionally, San Bernardino International Airport is only 1.5 miles to the East, so air-rail integration ought to be very easy.
The Federal Railroad Administration has identified only one intersection of two "core express" high-speed rail corridors in the Southwest U.S., and that site is in San Bernardino (Los Angeles-to-Phoenix and San Diego-to-Las Vegas).
I think a station in Rancho Cucamonga will work once it’s connected to CAHSR. That way there will be a direct connection to both LA and SB.
@Thom-TRA , the alignment the California High-Speed Rail Authority has chosen does not connect with Brightline.
The Authority is sending the trains along a route that runs south of the 10 freeway and that connects directly with Ontario International Airport's passenger terminals.
Additionally, the Tesla tunnels Elon Musk has proposed are two small to accommodate trains.
The tunnels would be strictly for electric and rubber-tired vehicles running within a relatively narrow diameter.
Virtually no public official in the region supports the Tesla tunnels, and the ones that have been constructed in Las Vegas have been frought with problems. So, I am not expecting the S.B. County Transportation Authority to put any tax dollars into the idea. The need for grade separation just does not exist.
The B.R.T. being developed for the corridor couldn't even qualify for dedicated lanes.
Nice. At 13:01 you saw F59PHR 868 which was a formerly retired locomotive back from the dead. I've ridden the san bernadino line a few times and it's always been cool except for a few small delays.
Why did they bring it back?
@@Thom-TRA Metrolink was in an equipment crisis, with F125 locomotives breaking down all the time. 868 and 856 were always used as spare locomotives and switchers, until the crisis got really bad and they brought back F59PHRs 873 and 852, so now there is 4 currently out
Dude, at the Pomona-North station on that line, the Los Angeles Metro Rail A Line (Blue) station is being built and will open in Early 2025.
It’s the Gold line which will currently runs from LA to Azusa . The Pomona north portion of gold line will open 2025. The Montclair extension will be finished in 2028. Blue line A runs Downtown La to Long Beach
@@deerene actually the Gold Line technically no longer exists as such. Because the Regional Connector is now open, the A line (Blue ) now runs all the way from Long Beach to Azusa. The A line is now the world’s longest single light rail line and is gonna get even longer when extensions open.
@@deerene that’s not the gold line no more that’s the A line ( Blue)
Technically, the "express" train provides limited service with station-stops in San Bernardino and Rancho Cucamonga.
Great video. I agree wholheartedly about the MBTA Commuter Rail, So much potential for the purple and silver to be one of the best systems with frequent all-day service with electrification and modern European EMU stock replacing the ye-oldie grossly overwheight super slow accelerating push-pull sets.
Ditto. I do think that it's trending that way. They're currently cleaning up the mess that years of operational and maintenance neglect has wrought on the whole MBTA system, and the new administration has committed to the East-West rail project (which will expand rail service between Boston and Albany, NY via Springfield and Pittsfield, likely operated by Amtrak, but it will be a MassDOT project). I think the likely upcoming reconstitution and replacement of the MBTA's governing board (including the addition of members who actually seem interested in fulfilling the T's mission) will make a difference in the near future.
Oh. The reason why the seating area is fenced off inside the Los Angeles Union Station is that area is reserved for train riding passengers only. There is a 2-hour limit for people to sit there and you must show your ticket to the security guard before you can enter and sit. That station has a bit of a problem with homeless people coming in there and either sitting or sleeping there for long periods of time, so they implemented this procedure to help alleviate this problem.
I am even excited for the Brightline West from Los Angeles to Las Vegas my guy.
Thank you very much for sharing the video ❤
I’m planning to riding on the San Bernardino line next month.
Have fun!
I know this is a year old, but I frequently ride the train from Fontana to Rancho Cucamonga I don't own a car, I ride a bicycle so being able to take my bike aboard the train and then ride to my destination is really nice, I live about 2 miles from the Fontana Train Depot and my destination from The Rancho Station is usually 2-3 miles, so it an easy ride.
I I can ride the 10-14 miles from my house in Fontana to Rancho Cucamonga, there is a very nice walking-bicycle trail that goes from Rialto to Claremont the Pacific Electric Trail, but the Train makes the trip faster and more interesting, the cost for a round trip ticket is very reasonable around 8-9 dollars, an Uber ride is around 25-30 depending on time of day.
The name Rancho Cucamonga came about around 1977, there were three unincorporated cites, Cucamonga, Alta Loma and Etiwanda, they merge to incorporate and it became Rancho Cucamonga, although some people who live up on the north side town where Alta Loma is still say they live in Alta Loma.
The area once had one of the largest Grape Vineyards around, Grape Vineyards used to stretch from Ontario right up to the Mountains.
8:22 "And I'm kinda jealous."
Me too...
A day that kid will remember forever
Thank you for riding metrolink to San Bernardino
I'm subscribed can you ride metro a line to Azusa please
One day if I ever go back to LA!
I am happy to see
San Bernardino line should be able to make 20 min frequencies work with the single track. If it was a bit better setup 15 mins could be on the table. Right now the goal for most metrolink lines is all day 30 min service by 2028 for the games. The draft 2023 state rail plan just came out
Great info! Thanks!
I will be in the Chicago area riding the Metra BNSF Aurora line. I am planning to arrive there on Wednesday.
While I would definitely be in favor of eliminating one or more freeway lanes, a second set of tracks might be able to be stacked on top of the current set.
That stretch of the 10 freeway is congested enough to force the car traffic to move slowly, so wide lanes may be unnecessary.
Conceivably, the lanes could be narrowed.
Rancho Cucamonga I think they made Friday out of that subber nice BNSF Manifest & truck's
Excellent video that is clearly well researched. Some of what you said makes me hopeful for better rail service in the future.
Thank you! I’m hopeful as well
Hope the train goes to las vegas soon ! Train like Japan's bullet train, shinkansen !
Another video made very well ! I guess soon enough you will be exploring and sharing Brightline in Florida as well as Tri rail in Florida.
The San Bernardino train was the first Metrolink train I took as my first of many lines I would use to travel LA County. I plan to take the Orange County line, then take the Inland Empire line to check out the south to southeast area next time during the weekends, thanks to the weekend day pass.
The weekend day pass really is such a great deal!
@@Thom-TRA It really is. I learned that one can use the day pass on the Amtrak line which didn't seem possible to me before
I know bringing back all of the pacific electric network is not possible but if the pacific electric lines still existed it could help with capacity. Plus pacific electric had their own right of way on most of their lines. I’ve went by rancho cucamonga station multiple times and I’ve never seen a train there.
I wish I could have been alive to see the Pacific Electric. Mostly, I wish it would still exist today.
@@Thom-TRA you could operate PE trains and others at the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, California
Yooo! New LA vid, ride this line quite often to get to san bernardino!
Hope i did it some justice!
Those chairs that were sectioned off with orange barricades, are a place for Amtrak passengers to sit if they don't have access to the lounge. There is a security guard standing at the entrance keeping non Amtrak people out. I had a lay over and the Metropolitan Lounge closes at 10p so I ended up camping out in those old antique chairs. The information desk gave me a wristband so I could enter that area.
Thanks for the info!
Great vid. I have just returned from my US train trip. I spent a few days in LA and rode Metrolink to Simi Valley and Fullerton though on each trip I had to set off early morning due to a complete lack of later morning trains. I rode the El Monte bus route after seeing your other vid and quite a few of the Metro lines as I visited various locations. Great value on the Metro where a week pass was just over $14 (currently half normal price) but as I was not there at the weekend I could not take advantage of the $10 Metrolink ticket which would have been great value. Overall a good network with much more potential.
I’m glad you enjoyed your trip! Simi Valley is beautiful
Loved this line: "Basically it just feels kind of wrong to be in this large, globally significant metro area and to be on a diesel train running over a single-track line." Couldn't agree more.
At least in my area (not LA), it seems like every rail project (whether light rail or heavy rail) initially receives a lot of skepticism from "the public" (whoever these people are), so the transit agency is forced to put together a scrappy system on a tight budget. Every time, ridership massively exceeds expectations, but then runs into issues because they didn't double track enough, limiting frequency and causing reliability problems. This creates a really unfortunate self-fulfilling prophecy problem, where the naysayers in won't give money to these projects because they see the problems they run into, but a lot of the problems could have been avoided in the first place if we had quit building 7 lane freeways and put just a bit more effort into rail expansion projects.
I'm probably just a bit grumpy though because the MP36PH-3C that pulled me to work today seemed particularly sooty and smoky today.
Almost like it’s all built to fail. Don’t underestimate how a small group of people and companies can be seen as the entire “public.”
On a side note, what area are you from?
@@Thom-TRA SLC, UT. The light rail system was originally built in 1999 as part of the preparations for the 2002 Olympics and received a lot of skepticism. UTA went through some rough management times, but somehow came through on the other side with a system that isn't completely terrible. FrontRunner tries to run every 30 minutes during peak weekday times, but the large amount of single tracked sections give them very little room for error. I believe that they did finally get funding to add additional double track sections, which would help a lot.
Can't go anywhere on Metrolink without seeing that Chicano dude on the cool custom bike lol
Another interesting and informative video!!! We’ve taken Amtrak from Union Station and it’s gorgeous!!! Thank you for highlighting this amazing station!!!
It is a gorgeous station. Piano man made the atmosphere even better!
hey at some point in time, can you go from bob hope airport train station to LA union station by Metrolink. TIP: i would recommend flying into Burbank bob hope airport if you are going to do this, i would also recommend flying into bob hope using southwest airlines because they are the most frequent airline to fly into that airport
It’s weird that I never knew abt this train but I live near Victorville so it could definitely save some gas money if I take San Bernardino to la
It’s pretty decent. Could be better but it’s good it exists.
I’ll be on ur train in Train Sim World 5
Not sure if it has been answered but they block it off to deter non passengers from sitting there. In order to sit there you need a ticket.
Huh i didn't know they checked ticket at the door now, before when I used to ride their trains on the weekend at a random station police officers would board the train and check tickets.
Must have changed
The seats are restricted to keep homeless people from overruning the waiting room. The biggest obstacle to expansion is political disagreement and distrust among the 5 counties served by Metrolink. It took a decade to get agreement to extend Metrolink to downtown San Bernadino, a city gutted by the loss of railroad and steel industry jobs.
The Foothill Light Rail Extension will eventually make it all the way out to Montclair. So it would be a one seat ride from San Bernardino County all the way to Santa Monica... Did you see the historic Claremont Station? Claremont itself is a beautiful town.
Exciting expansion of the LA Metro!
I had family that lived in what is now Rancho Cucamunga. Their town used to be called Alta Loma, and they merged a whole bunch of small towns to form Rancho. I think it was 1980s but not sure. I've been there twice, and the first time, when I told them I would ride my bike down to train station and take train to Union, then Flyaway to airport, they didn't beleive it could be done. (this allowed me to buy bike box at Amtrak for the flight home 🙂 My cousin was driven by them to airport, and despite my stop at Amtrak to find the place where I could buy the bike (baggage handling is a floor above the main floor!) I didn't get to airport much later than they did. (but then had to pack my bike etc). The second time, I was at a hotel and had less contact with them and they didn't offer to drive me because they knew of the train but they never considered taking it.
BTW, I doubt very much that this Brightline thing will happen. They want government to finance half of it, and once they start to see the grade the i-15 takes up Cajun pass ( UP and BNSF take a circuitous route to bypass higher mountains that the i-15 goes over in a straight line( I suspect the project will stall because they realise they will have to tunnel under the i-15. Consider a runaway train going down at 300kmh and the road curves ahead.
I mean, with all environmental reviews cleared and construction slated to begin soon, I’m pretty sure they’ve considered the grade of the pass. It’s been done in other countries before too.
The Metra North Central Service manages to get more riders with 11 less daily round trips.
Makes you think metra should probably run more trains on the NCS
The only Arrow 💘 train I have heard of is the Red Arrow which travels between Moscow and Leningrad but good luck with getting that one under the belt at the moment!Those on train announcements are very stentorian and shrill.
This is cool to see that you that's is
The SB line needs to be electrified to allow for Brightline West Trains to enter Los Angeles union station.
I agree
Cool $10.00😊 pass
To solve the bottleneck is to put an upper deck above the current track and double or Tripple the track above. It would be cheaper than tunneling.
Like they’re doing in New York for the IBX
To say that this line is former Pacific Electric is an oversimplification, but you knew that and didn't want to get into such minute detail during your video where time is precious, especially since you knew some rivet-counting foamer would fill in the details. Well, here I am. Once out of LAUS/Mission interlocking area, from around milepost 1.3 to MP 12.3 (before El Monte) you are on the former PE. From MP 12.3 to MP 18.9 (Baldwin Park) is former Southern Pacific trackage that never saw overhead wire. The PE is regained from MP 18.9 to MP 32.3 (before Claremont) although a lot of it was built by SP. Then it's a former Santa Fe route for the remaining 25 miles into Downtown San Bernardino.
Thanks for the detailed information! And for understanding the editing process of a creator 😂
Who owns the tracks from LA River to Union Station now?
the Garmin maps not know for accuracy of railroad onwershop but they do show it becoming Union Pacific after going up Rio Hondo river and eaching east to El Monte. Then after crossing San Gabriel River turns north on "Los Angeles County Metropolitan Tra until just after Baldwin Park when tracks head east again, this time onwed by Metrolink. (with spur going north onwed by Union Pacific which is a dead end so I assume UP has trackage rights to access some commercial customer(s) there. Metrolink continues to Central Ave just past Monclair where it become BNSF tracks. And Rancho Cucamunga, thre are a few spurs to reach industrial customers. Some freight yards just west of Cherry Ave.
At San Bernadino Depot which is just south of big BNSF yard, I can see the flyover to let Metrolink train reach southernmost track, but Garmin labels it as BNSF trackl. After the station, the tracks are "Southern California Regional Rail a"
Does Metrolink really own everything all the way to San Bernadino? How long ago would they have acquired the tracks that Garmin says is BNSF? Ir is this a case of double track with 1 track onwed by BNSF and the other by Metrolink/state ?
Is single tracking the only obstacle to higher frequencies, or do freight companies have impediments to it?
@@jfmezei Metrolink (SCRRA) San Bernardino Line trains operate on Metrolink-SCRRA tracks from LAUS to DT San Bernardino. There is no portion of the San Bernardino Line that's controlled by either UP or BNSF. SCRRA has all the LAUS station trackage as well as the tracks that line both sides of the LA River. From the Rio Hondo to the San Gabriel River SCRRA parallels UP's Alhambra Sub, and even has a flyover to get from the south side of the UP track to the north side, enabling SCRRA to diverge northeast towards Baldwin Park over a track on which UP has rights to service a few spurs. The changeover to former the former Santa Fe line (with BNSF retaining trackage rights) occurs west of Claremont station. Just prior to the San Bernardino Depot an SCRRA flyover keeps Metrolink trains from interfering with the BNSF.
SCRRA cobbled together this route in the early 1990s, purchasing the right of ways from SP and the AT&SF.
@@drgwdrgw Thanks for explanation. I can see how Garmin maps might show the predominent railway where on track i Metrolink and one is UP. But if change in onwership on BNSF happened in the 1990s, hard to understand how Garmin would still show the tracks at say Rancho Cucamunga to still be BNSF. So their source of data for track onwership is wrong. Wonder if they got data from BNSF which includes the metrolink tracks as being part of BNSF network (since they have trackage rights) so Garmin put BNSF onwership ahead of metrolink claiming the tracks as theirs. Who does the signaling between LAUS and San Bernadino? does Metrolink have its own systems to run CTC on the line and drive signal lights and switches, or subcontracts with different railroads?
Fun fact: all Metrolink trains are now powered by biodiesel.
That’s great! Next step: electrification
What do you think is the best commuter rail service in the US, and what do you think is the worst?
Best would probably be Septa or the Long Island Railroad. Worst… idk. Maybe the WeGo Star in Nashville. Please note I haven’t been on either LIRR or WeGo yet.
I can't answer my own question because the closest I've ever got to the US is Melbourne, Australia. But I can say that I don't like the current WeGo Star livery (I prefer to the original Music City Star livery).
I used to use that to commute to downtown LA. Yeah the frequency could use an improvement. You miss your train and you're waiting an hour. When I lived in Long Beach and used the Blue Line to get to downtown, if I missed it I only had to wait 8 minutes for the next one. The other major con is about Union Station itself, it's not located in the middle of downtown LA itself, so you have to transfer to the Red Line to get to the offices for work. The hike from the Metrolink tracks down to the Red Line 2x every day can really wear you out. (I'm only saying cons, but overall I love the Metrolink service)
I’m just proud of you for using public transportation for your commute
My boy you should come up to Northern California we have the best trains in America
Nice video!!!!
Thanks!
The solution to running better frequencies and dealing with the long stretch of single track in the narrow right-of-way along the I-10 freeway is this: Convince Union Pacific into letting some Metrolink trains use their Alhambra Subdivision from CP Yuma Jct (Mission Tower area, just outside LAUS) up to CP Bassett, where trains can switch onto Metrolink. Using this routing the stations of CSULA and El Monte will be bypassed but the few trains going this way can be noted in the public timetable.
That sounds like a good plan, but I'm sure that UP will come up with excuses to justify not doing it. And, it seems like UP doesn't even run many trains during the daytime anymore. I live just over a mile from the mainline through Alhambra, and I frequently hear locomotive horns late at night. UP tends to run long trains in general, which is a practice that could be an obstacle for Metrolink.
Yes, they should send the express trains that way for sure. A lot of public money went into that San Gabriel Trench so we really should demand more out of it than the single-track that UP currently operates. On the other hand, Metrolink isy working on extending the Marengo and El Monte sidings which sandwich the freeway portion so its impact is going to be a bit more minimized, especially since it does have a short siding in the middle. The other thing they could contemplate is raising the speed there to 90 MPH (I doubt 110 would realistically make sense) which in conjunction with the double-tracking projects at the ends, should be palatable enough for a bit more frequent service. Finally, they could widen most of the freeway portion to two tracks without taking away freeway lanes by instead removing parking on the streets that are on the other side of the sound walls. While I know salivating over removing freeway lanes is a favorite dream of a lot of people, I do believe it is even more outrageous that parking for houses with driveways would be prioritized over a regional train or the regional road connection the freeway provides. Nix the parking.
When the Brightline one day opens, it would make sense to electrify the line to provide service every 30 min or better through the day. If and when the Antelope Valley line gets electrified for HSR, and through tracks at Union Station open, there could be a great medium distance electrified service in the LA metro area! That being said, what's the chance all this gets built before the 2050's?🤷♂️
For that single track bottleneck, I took a quick look in Google earth and it seems there's even no room for them to widen the highway to add another track in the median. But who knows, maybe by the 2050s people will be willing to sacrifice a single lane if a 12 lane highway?🙄
We can always hope…
Isn't the new Brightline electric? Maglev? I think since this will be built by a private company without all the bureaucracy that comes wit states/counties, it will be built faster. At least faster than the current California high speed rail. lol
@@Thom-TRA Speaking of the California High Speed project. Do you have any insight on it or have any insider info on it's progress? Any personal thoughts?
@@FEARNoMore no insider info but my personal thoughts are that despite the high cost overruns, it’s a necessary project that will bring a lot of benefits to the region. Hopefully it will be a blueprint for the US.
@@Thom-TRA Gotcha. I agree, I hope it is finished & not abandoned. Thanks.
OK, I know the San Bernardino County line towards Redlands area
They should electrify this line
They should
rip the person at the end that missed the train
They can just go upstairs and catch a bus.
They were actually running for the wrong train. They had to go towards San Bernardino.
Yep. Sadly most of the Metrolinks ( depending on the conductor who will wait a bit) wait for no one. Poor guy 😢
10:36 I have no idea if this is feasible but, if Metrolink can't build dual track outward in the space allotted in the highway medium, could they build vertically? Constructing a viaduct to carry the new track above the existing track ROW. Stacked tracks had been done before however that was in the form of the Barcelona Metro in a single bored tunnel rather then a full sized double decker locomotive in open air.
That would be a pretty good solution! Maybe a bit expensive but not as expensive as boring.
@@Thom-TRA Especially if Metrolink is still operating Diesels in the tunnel and all those fumes need to be ventilated out.
you know Amtrak goes right past ontario airport make sense if they had a stop there
There are a ton of airports Amtrak could serve that would boost ridership
@@Thom-TRA they cant even show up on time but then they gotta spend money to build a depot for the airports money they dont have
@@Thom-TRA they blame dispatchers for being late or its the freight railroads fault or track work or some dumb ass having a death wish jumping in front then the family hires some A Hole lawyer looking for a payday
@@staintedcards you know it’s usually not Amtrak’s fault that they’re late right?
@@Thom-TRA why are they never on time ? i tried to go to san deigo 9 am train got there like 30 mns before sucker was gonna be 4 hours late nobody could tell me i gave up and went back home to bed
Is it just me or almost 2 hours is a loong time for this distance?
It is pretty long, it travels slow
Quiero viajar a San bernardino como hago sacan algún ticket
You can use the ticket machine at the station!
Cool
A-line 2 Montclair soon to cut the funding now
Thank you for this great video ! I thoroughly enjoyed your description of Union Station, and the Metrolink train. Hopefully service frequency will be increased, but as you rightly say, the track needs to be doubled to achieve that. I also hope you can ride behind one of the new F125 locomotives ! Many thanks.
I rode behind the F125 on the next trip I took to LA, in January. Report to follow soon!
The a line is open next early 2025
Como se usa
I❤ this on sb
Great review of the SB line. Last I heard the single track section in the median of the freeway is being considered for double track. The idea behind it is to not only increase frequency but to also allow for high speed rail to one day use it for phase 2 of the project to San Diego. The SB line has one of the highest frequency’s of service on the whole Metrolink system. However, score looks to improve frequency times to 30 min in each direction on all lines.
I do think this line will be very valuable for high speed rail expansion
Did you win the lottery or something to travel to all these places on train especially San Bernardino only someone that would win the lottery would want to go to San Bernardino that's my take
Your take is very weird
Love your vidoes and your relaxed way of presenting them Thom! In this day and age it is really is pathetic that there is only a single way track. Maybe build a double eck track. When will the usa catch up with europe - sadly never when politics gets involved.
Glad you enjoy the videos!
4:10
The tunnel to Ontario International Airport is a ridiculous Elon Musk con job.
Very interresting video. Seems like a nice ride, but as you said in the video. I am really shocked at the frequencies. Really sad to see.
I take this train to sb
I was born in 1956 and raised in the Los Angeles area but my parents were from Chicago and that’s where my grandparents and the rest of the relatives lived. My dad died when I was only two years old. From then and into the early 1960s, my recently widowed mother would schlep my two older sisters and me (and I assume a ton of luggage) to LA’s Union Station for an annual summer trip back to Chicago to visit the family. The trips on the train were a great adventure for a little kid like me.
I’ll always remember that we took the Santa Fe El Capitan (except for that one year we returned on the original California Zephyr. That’s another story!) and that it was already dark as the train pulled out of Union Station. Researching old schedules shows that there was an 8:00 PM departure and that we would be arriving at Chicago Dearborn Station approximately 40 hours later. The El Capitan was an all coach train that pretty much followed the same schedule as the more famous Super Chief. The bi-level El Capitan cars were the prototype for today’s Amtrak Superliner cars.
Departing LA Union Station, the El Capitan and the Super Chief used Santa Fe’s Pasadena line. These trains stopped Pasadena (celebrities liked to board the Super Chief in Pasadena to avoid the crowds and the paparazzi) and then onto San Bernardino. Early “El Caps” made an additional stop in Pomona but that stop was eventually eliminated. Amtrak continued to use this routing with the renamed Southwest Chief until 1993. The routing was made available to the Metro Gold Line and to MetroLink. As you said, the current Southwest Chief runs through Fullerton and Riverside and eventually to San Bernardino. And of course, Dearborn Station is now a shopping mall or food court or whatever, with a park where boarding platforms used to be.
Before I go, I must mention that if you happen to be riding the Metra Rock Island Beverly Branch, my grandparents’ house was just two blocks away from the 95th Street-Beverly Hills station. When we were kids, we took the Rock Island into Chicago. One of the trains I got to ride on was one of the Rock Island’s GM Aerotrains!
Anyway, thanks again Thom, for sharing your love of trains. I should have stayed with trains but the timing was wrong when picking career paths. Today, I fix airplanes for United Airlines. I’m still involved in transportation so I’m sure that my train experience helped to steer me toward what I do today.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad. Glad the trains bring back fond memories. I never knew the Chief used to run through Pasadena! And your job at United sounds awesome, very important stuff!
I can't wait for the rail improvements coming; 30 minute trains 24/7 would be amazing you could get anywhere in so cal or even out to vegas on the bright line in less than an hour. if i never have to get on the 91 or the 101 freeway at rush hour again I wouldn't miss it. I hope in a few years everyone is riding e bikes and dumping the pay to play toll lanes from hell 12 lanes of traffic freeway traffic and nobody is moving. one more rail line and 10 more locomotives would revolutionize this states transportation and we haven't even installed high speed or 2 way electric trains. SMH
I wish they would have the bright line train go all the way to Los Angeles Union station. I'm not from there I've been there a couple few times. But you know just to make it so that they could really have connections that'd be a good thing. Take a connect up with the red line and all the other light rail lines and take people with a connection to Hollywood and places like that
I think the ultimate goal is to go to Union. I’m making a video about this soon!