On the Right Track : Trial Run of Metrolink’s Ventura County Line Gets Rave Reviews

The gleaming blue-and-white, double-decked commuter train rolled into Moorpark on Tuesday, passing an antique shop and an ice cream parlor as it trumpeted its arrival with repeated whistle blasts.

Moments later, about two dozen local leaders and journalists stepped inside the sleek Metrolink coaches for a quick trip to Simi Valley and back. The trial run was organized to drum up attention for the Oct. 26 kickoff of commuter rail service along a 47-mile route between Moorpark and downtown Los Angeles.

The plush rail cars and smooth ride impressed city and county officials. But across High Street at Sweet Cinns Bake Shop, owner Peggy McLaughlin was equally pleased.

“I love it,” she said. “The best reason is that it will take cars off the freeway. And it should help our business and help this old-town street, with its big beautiful pepper trees. People are gearing up for it.”

Moorpark and Simi Valley will be the first stops each weekday morning on Metrolink’s Ventura County line. The train will stop in Chatsworth, Van Nuys, Burbank and Glendale before arriving at Union Station. Initially, the trip from Moorpark to downtown Los Angeles is expected to take 84 minutes.

The Ventura County line, which cost nearly $100 million for track improvements and new rail cars, is one strand in a new five-county rail network aimed at getting long-distance commuters off the region’s clogged freeways.

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which operates the network, estimates that nearly 3,400 one-way riders daily will use the Ventura County line when it begins running.

Initially, the agency predicts that 162 riders will board each day in Moorpark and 252 in Simi Valley, Metrolink spokesman Peter Hidalgo said. About 80% of the Ventura County line’s passengers are expected to ride all the way to downtown Los Angeles. The one-way fare from Simi Valley or Moorpark will be $6.50.

Although the train might not get workers to Los Angeles any faster, Metrolink advocates said riders will avoid the stress of freeway driving and could put the time to more productive use by reading or using a laptop computer.

The riders on Tuesday’s test run received a small taste of the traveling conditions the commuters will encounter.

The train consisted of a cab car, which can carry the engineer and passengers; two coaches, and a locomotive capable of pushing or pulling the other cars, eliminating the need for turnaround maneuvers.

As the train left Moorpark, the locomotive was at the rear. But engineer Gordon W. Vincent operated it from a console in the cab car at the front. After a stop in Simi Valley, Vincent moved to the locomotive, which pulled the other cars back to Moorpark.

The train rocked gently as it moved at about 65 m.p.h. But passengers could easily walk along the carpeted aisles or climb stairs to the upper deck for a more scenic view of the suburban housing tracts and farmland whizzing by. By sliding open the heavy doors at the end of each aisle, passengers could walk from one car to another while the train was moving.

The cushioned seats were periwinkle, and the coaches were equipped with air conditioning and heating equipment, bicycle racks and restrooms. The noise level was relatively low.

“I think the trains are absolutely beautiful,” Moorpark Councilman John E. Wozniak said. “If you’ve ever been on Amtrak, there is a big difference. This is much smoother--and the air conditioning works.”

Metrolink officials said the new trains use “advanced low-pollution diesel locomotives.”

Michael Wooten, an attorney who serves on the Ventura County Transportation Commission, said if ridership on the initial route is strong, the commuter line may be extended through Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura.

Although the trains appeared to be ready for daily use, construction on platform canopies and parking lots was still under way Tuesday at the Simi Valley and Moorpark stations.

Simi Valley Councilman Bill Davis, who serves on the regional rail authority, vowed that the stations will be in better shape before the Ventura County line opens with a week of free travel. “We may not have gorgeous green grass” at the stations, Davis said. “But they will be operational.”

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