SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : New Trains Are a Trip, Riders Say

Hardy mass transit enthusiasts who for years were stuck in trains often best known for their mice, kicked back in high style Tuesday in new cars featuring high-back seats, plush carpeting, disabled access and even bike racks.

The new periwinkle blue-and-white, double-deck cars, run by the Orange County Transportation Authority, began service on trains running between Orange County and downtown Los Angeles. In keeping with the spirit of the enterprise, even the locomotives burn clean.

Tuesday evening, passengers who stepped off the cars at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center praised the new trains for their comfort and convenience.

“They’re nice and new,” said Morgan Abbott who commutes from Newport Beach to Los Angeles. “You have to compare them to what we had before. We’re definitely in the ‘90s and not the ‘60s.”

However, he said, there were some drawbacks.

“Aesthetically they’re great but I’d say that the legroom is lousy,” Abbott said.

The OCTA is borrowing the cars worth $1.37 million apiece from the Southern California Regional Rail Authority. The OCTA is awaiting delivery on its own identical cars, which will arrive in about a year.

Overall, the new equipment got good marks during its first day of operation.

“They’re clean and quieter,” said Laura Meissenburg, who was visiting from Montana. “But if they’re on time that’s all I need them to be.”

The new equipment replaces trains leased by CalTrain in the Bay Area for $1 a year. Each of the the four cars seats 148 people and also includes amenities such as cellular phones, air conditioning and restrooms. The state-of-the-art locomotive produces 40% fewer emissions than those on typical passenger trains and can pull up to 10 cars at one time.

The ride to Los Angeles costs about $22 from San Juan Capistrano and $15 from Santa Ana. More than 14,000 passengers make the trip each month.

The OCTA line will expand service and become part of the Metrolink network in December, 1993. Metrolink will begin service on Oct. 26.

Later, service will be extended to San Bernardino and Riverside.