Orange County Line
Metrolink locomotive 860 at Irvine
Overview
OwnerBNSF (Los Angeles–Fullerton)
SCRRA (Fullerton–OC/SD County Line)
NCTD (OC/SD County Line–Oceanside)
LocaleLos Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties
Termini
Stations15
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemMetrolink
Operator(s)Metrolink
Daily ridership2,950 (June 2023)[1]
Technical
Line length87.2 miles (140.3 km)
CharacterElevated and surface-level
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed90 mph (140 km/h) (top)[2]
41 mph (66 km/h) (average)[3]
Route map
■ Antelope Valley Line ■ Ventura County Line
 L.A. Union Station
■ San Bernardino Line
■ Riverside Line
 Commerce
Pico Rivera
(planned)
 Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs
 Buena Park
 Fullerton
■ 91/Perris Valley Line
 Anaheim
■ Inland Empire–Orange County Line
 Orange
 Santa Ana
(OC Streetcar 2025)
 Tustin
 Irvine
 Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo
 San Juan Capistrano
 San Clemente
San Clemente Pier
(weekends)
 Oceanside
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner & Coaster
to San Diego
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
 Stations with Amtrak service

The Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink from Los Angeles through Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County, connecting with the Coaster commuter rail service to San Diego. The Orange County Line carries passengers to the primary Metrolink hub at L.A. Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, as well as to many attractions in Orange County including the Knott's Berry Farm area, Angel Stadium of Anaheim and the Honda Center, the Disneyland Resort, Old Town Orange, Santa Ana Zoo, Mission San Juan Capistrano and many more. In San Diego County, it serves the Oceanside Pier and Camp Pendelton.[4]

History

The Orange County Line began on April 30, 1990, as the Orange County Commuter, an Amtrak-operated service between Los Angeles and San Juan Capistrano funded by the Orange County Transportation Authority.[5][6] The Orange County Commuter made a single weekday round-trip, departing San Juan Capistrano in the morning and returning in the evening.[7] Between July and December 1993 during the Orange County Commuter's final months, both the Commerce and Orange Transportation Center stations opened. Amtrak conveyed the route to Metrolink on March 28, 1994, becoming the "Orange County Line" and Metrolink's fifth route.[8][9] Service expanded to eight trips in 1995.[10]

In October 2005, the Orange County Transportation Authority announced that it would increase service on the Orange County Line, running trains twenty hours daily, seven days a week every 30 minutes. The first part of the additional service was implemented in June 2006 with Saturday service, and July 2006 with Sunday service. The plan has drawn criticism as many Metrolink stations are located beyond walking distance from important destinations such as Disneyland and the adjacent Anaheim Convention Center, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Irvine Spectrum. Funds for new rolling stock and track improvements were allocated from the voter-approved Measure M half-cent sales tax, while critics had advocated using the money for bus operations or other transit service instead. To address some of these issues, OCTA operates a series of Stationlink shuttle routes that connect Metrolink stations in Orange County to nearby destinations.

As of 2019 service is provided seven days a week, with 29 trains on weekdays, and 8 on weekends. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner supplements Orange County Line service by providing limited stop service along the corridor and more service during mid-days, nights and weekends.

Future

The route of the Orange County Line may be used for future extensions of the planned California High-Speed Rail line from Los Angeles Union Station to Anaheim. Potential stops include Norwalk or Fullerton.

The line it uses, the Surf Line, is vulnerable to the effects of coastal erosion and sea level rise in San Clemente, California. Between 2022 and 2023, service was suspended several times due to coastal erosion. Service most recently resumed on May 27, 2023.[11]

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) also has plans for an infill station serving Pico Rivera, located between Commerce and Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs stations.[12]

Route

While the Orange County Line shares trackage with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner trains, its northernmost stations (from Los Angeles to Fullerton, excluding Commerce) are shared with the 91/Perris Valley Line and nearly all of its other stations with the Inland Empire–Orange County Line (from Orange to Oceanside).

The Orange County Line runs on the BNSF Railway's Southern Transcon track between Los Angeles and Fullerton, under a shared-right-of-way agreement. Several stations, most notably the ones in downtown Fullerton and Santa Ana, are renovated Spanish Colonial Revival depots originally built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Sections of the line between Santa Ana and Oceanside allow for 90-mile-per-hour (140 km/h) operating speeds.[2]

Stations

Under Amtrak operation the Orange County Commuter stopped at the following stations: Los Angeles, Commerce, Fullerton, Anaheim–Stadium, Orange, Santa Ana, Irvine, and San Juan Capistrano.[13] With the Metrolink takeover in 1994 the southern terminus moved to Oceanside and five infill stations were subsequently added:[14] San Clemente and Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs in 1995,[15][16] Tustin and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo in 2002,[17][18] and Buena Park in 2007.[19]

Station Connections Location
L.A. Union Station Metrolink (California) Metrolink: 91/Perris Valley Antelope Valley Riverside San Bernardino Ventura County
Amtrak Amtrak: Coast Starlight, Pacific Surfliner, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, Texas Eagle
Metro:  A Line  B Line  D Line  J Line
FlyAway (bus) FlyAway to LAX		 Los Angeles Los Angeles County
Commerce Commerce
Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink (California) Metrolink: 91/Perris Valley Norwalk
Buena Park Metrolink (California) Metrolink: 91/Perris Valley Buena Park Orange County
Fullerton Metrolink (California) Metrolink: 91/Perris Valley
Amtrak Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner, Southwest Chief		 Fullerton
Anaheim Amtrak Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner Anaheim
Orange Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County Orange
Santa Ana Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County
Amtrak Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner		 Santa Ana
Tustin Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County Tustin
Irvine Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County
Amtrak Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner		 Irvine
Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County Laguna Niguel
San Juan Capistrano Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County
Amtrak Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner		 San Juan Capistrano
San Clemente Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County San Clemente
San Clemente Pier (weekends) Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County
Amtrak Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner
Oceanside Metrolink (California) Metrolink: Inland Empire-Orange County
Amtrak Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner
Coaster
Sprinter		 Oceanside San Diego County

The October 2017 timetable shows ten weekday trains from Los Angeles to Oceanside and back, eight from Fullerton to Laguna Niguel and back, seven from Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel and back, four from Fullerton to Oceanside, and two from Los Angeles to Irvine and back.

Passengers that have monthly passes can use Pacific Surfliner trains between their station pairs on any day except for specific blacked out days by Amtrak for holidays and special events (such as events at Del Mar) on this line.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Quarterly Fact Sheet Q4 2022-2023" (PDF). Metrolink. June 30, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  2. 1 2 SMA Rail Consulting (April 2016). "California Passenger Rail Network Schematics" (PDF). California Department of Transportation.
  3. ↑ "Metrolink Fact Sheet for June 2012" (PDF). Metrolink. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Metrolink Timetable" (PDF). June 6, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ "COUNTYWIDE : Ridership Healthy on Commuter Train". Los Angeles Times. May 5, 1990.
  6. ↑ Rail Passenger Development Plan: 1991-96 Fiscal Years (PDF). Sacramento, CA: Division of Mass Transportation, Caltrans. 1991. p. 173.
  7. ↑ Amtrak (October 28, 1990). "National Train Timetables". Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  8. ↑ NARP (March 25, 1994). "NARP March 1994 Hotlines". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  9. ↑ TRAINS Magazine - Railroad News, Web Cam, Railroading Video - Metrolink
  10. ↑ Berkman, Leslie (July 14, 1995). "Metrolink Adds 2 More Trains Per Day for Orange County". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  11. ↑ Mapp, Lauren (May 27, 2023). "Amtrak, Metrolink service from San Diego to Orange County resumes after emergency closure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ Scauzillo, Steve (June 27, 2023). "Plans for new Metrolink stations in Boyle Heights and Pico Rivera press on". Los Angeles Daily News. MediaNews Group. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  13. ↑ "National Timetable". The Museum of Railway Timetables. Amtrak. October 31, 1993. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  14. ↑ Catz, Sarah L. (February 14, 1994). "Plans for Flexible Transportation Alternatives Are Moving Right Along". The Los Angeles Times. p. 91. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Ni, Ching-Ching (March 6, 1995). "San Clemente Goes on Fast Track With Its New Metrolink Station". Los Angeles Times. p. 77. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Metrolink Station Opens". The Los Angeles Times. July 18, 1995. p. 23. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ McKibben, Dave (April 17, 2002). "Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink Depot Set to Debut". Los Angeles Times. p. 11. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Morin, Monte (January 18, 2002). "New Metrolink Station to Debut Today in Tustin". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  19. ↑ Reyes, David (September 5, 2007). "Metrolink's Buena Park station opens for business". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
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