Good Start for the Commuter Train : But the region’s first passenger service created solely for commuters has a way to go

Commuter railroads are a way of life in some locales, instilling clock-like precision in the lives of riders and offering inspiration for writers and cartoonists. But the automobile has been a central theme in the growth of Southern California, so it has been an intriguing challenge this year to graft onto a fabled lifestyle the region’s first passenger train created solely for commuters.

Some early results from the Orange County to Union Station run are in, and while they are not great, they may be good enough to create expectations that some form of commuter rail travel is here to stay. Awhile ago, the Orange County Transportation Commission wisely anticipated an opportunity to change ingrained habits while the Santa Ana Freeway was being widened. So last spring, with a $1.8-million subsidy, Orange County began running commuter trains from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles, with stops in Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim and Fullerton. They supplemented existing Amtrak runs from San Diego to Los Angeles.

The launching of this commuter service in response to an immediate transportation crisis was what gave the train an extra start down the track; there was no need to convince anyone of the need to leave the car at the station. Encouraged by modest but steadily gaining ridership during the slow summer season, the commission last week approved a $68,000 marketing campaign designed to employ such tools as direct mail, which has already been used successfully to get people into buses. That’s not a lot of money to spend in the age of expensive TV advertising, but such clever strategies as airing radio public service announcements for commuters stuck on I-5 can work, too.

The ridership numbers so far are less than terrific, but ahead of projections. The commission also reports it is on target to reach its goal of about 350 riders per train, per day, within a year. Even if it takes a major disruption in routine--like a freeway widening--to get people out of cars, these early results are encouraging.