Rail Report Predicts 23,000 Daily Riders, 27 Commuter Trains : Transit: The cost of right of way improvements, stations, rolling stock and shared facilities needed for start-up service is estimated at $582 million.

A draft report on the planned Southern California commuter rail system predicts that 27 round-trip trains will carry 23,329 one-way passengers a day by the time all but one of the lines are operating in 1995.

The 88-page report prepared by the new Southern California Commuter Rail Coordinating Council, consisting of transportation officials from five Southland counties, also disclosed plans to extend service to such outlying points as Hemet and Redlands in what eventually will be 412 miles of lines and 50 stations.

The report said Moorpark-Los Angeles, Santa Clarita-Los Angeles and San Bernardino-Los Angeles service would begin in 1992, Oceanside-Los Angeles service in 1993 and San Bernardino/Riverside-Irvine, Riverside-Los Angeles and Hemet-Riverside service in 1995. It said no start-up date is yet available for Redlands-San Bernardino service.

“The total estimated cost of right of way improvements, stations, rolling stock and shared facilities needed for start-up level of service is estimated at $582 million,” said the report, presented by Fred Reagan, executive director of the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

It estimated that initial annual operating costs would range between $19 million and $28 million.

As the report was submitted this week, it was disclosed that the state transportation commission is urging Southern California counties to defer purchase of Canadian-built bi-level commuter rail cars until Caltrans adopts performance specifications for such cars in April.

The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission approved the purchase of 40 of the 162-seat cars from the UTDC firm of Kingston, Canada, last month, with delivery set for 1992. But no final purchase agreement has yet been signed.

Neil Peterson, the executive director of the Los Angeles commission, expressed some impatience with the calls for delay, saying in an interview: “I can understand how some people would be upset that we were prejudging the results of their work (adopting the specifications). But are they moving in every way aggressively to get service to the public?”

Peterson said he is confident that the Canadian cars will meet the specifications that the state eventually adopts.

The commuter rail planning report, meanwhile, said it would be critical to provide adequate park-and-ride lots and connecting bus or light-rail services at the stations along the lines to get the highest possible patronage.

But in sketching financial details, the report said it would be up to local governments along the way to foot the entire bill for station development.

It estimated capital costs for starting service to be $85.9 million for the Moorpark-Los Angeles line, $51.8 million for Santa Clarita-Los Angeles, $115.2 million for San Bernardino-Los Angeles, $121.4 million for San Bernardino/Riverside-Irvine, $54.4 million for Riverside-Los Angeles, $50.3 million for Hemet-Riverside and $103 million for Oceanside-Los Angeles.

Several of the projected commuter lines now carry Amtrak intercity service, which would continue. Between Los Angeles and San Bernardino, there remains a choice to be made between two alternate routes.

The report said the most significant long-range technology issue affecting commuter rail development is the possible electrification of the lines. It said electrification would allow higher speeds and stem pollution, but also would entail major capital investments, which were not specified.

The report also recommended that the system have “a single management structure” and allow for the common use of equipment and facilities.

“Service should be provided by a single operator and passengers would be able to purchase a single ticket allowing transfer to other routes within the system and to connecting transit services,” it went on. “Service schedules would be coordinated and there would be a unified fare structure and an integrated passenger information system.”

Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties are in the process of forming a joint authority to administer the network, and San Diego County may be affiliated in a limited way, said Dana Reed, chairman of the coordinating council.

COMMUTER RAIL PLAN

Below are the estimates of daily ridership for the start-up-level service alongwith the train frequency rates during peak periods.

Daily Round trip One-Way Trains during Service Route Passengers peak periods Frequency Moorpark to Los Angeles 3,398 4 every 45 minutes Santa Clarita to 2,688 3 hourly Los Angeles San Bernardino to 4,490 5 every 40 minutes Los Angeles Redlands to San - - - Bernardino San Bernardino/Riverside 3,178 4 every 50 minutes to Irvine Riverside to Los Angeles 3,599 2 hourly Hemet to Riverside 1,506 2 hourly Oceanside to Los Angeles 4,470 3 every 30 minutes Total 23,329

Source: Los Angeles County Transportation Commission