Double-Decker Rail Cars Make Inaugural Commute

The seats are smaller and not as soft, the train sways a bit more and there aren’t as many restrooms.

But transit officials say the new, double-decked passenger cars on the Orange County-Los Angeles commuter line make it a lot more like big-city commuter rail lines.

The sleek and silver double-decker cars made their debut Monday, replacing some of the older Amtrak cars built with wider seats and meant for long-distance travel. The new cars, which come from a state-operated CalTrain route that runs from San Jose to San Francisco, are built especially for commuters.

“They’re better than most of us thought it would be,” said Thomas Torpy, 58, of Placentia, as he left the Fullerton station. “It’s less fun . . . but it beats driving.”

Transit officials say that what they lost in luxury they will gain in cost. Each car carries about 160 passengers--about double the older Amtrak car--and is less expensive to lease.

For about five weeks, Orange County was leasing the passenger cars from Amtrak at a rate of $200,000 a year. The state will lend its cars to Orange County for just $1 per year, said Adrienne Brooks, rail projects manager for the Orange County Transportation Commission.

With the new cars, the annual cost to Amtrak to operate the line will fall from $1.8 million to $1.6 million, she said. The OCTC had been waiting for the new cars to become available.

The commuter line now includes an engine, two passenger cars and an Amtrak cab car, which holds luggage and carries train employees. The only restrooms are located in the cab car, as opposed to the old Amtrak line that had restrooms located in almost all the rail cars.

The service started April 30, averaging about 140 passengers a day, Brooks said. The average number of riders is now around 155 a day, leaving plenty of space in the new cars, she said.

That suits some passengers just fine.

“It will be more inconvenient if you have to share a seat,” Torpy said. “It could be a little cramped if you are more than 5 foot 8.”

The OCTC will launch a marketing campaign this week in Irvine, offering residents coupons for free round trips, Brooks said. Further marketing plans call for direct mailings and some billboard advertising.

Fares run $281 a month for five daily, round-trip passes between San Juan Capistrano and Union Station in Los Angeles. In contrast, Amtrak charges $352 a month for passengers who board in San Juan as part of its regular San Diego-Los Angeles service.

“We feel that once they get aboard that they will see some of the advantages of commuting by train,” Brooks said, adding that fares over the long run cost the same as commuting and the trains are much more dependable.

“Our trains have consistently been getting in on time.”