Irvine-to-San Bernardino Metrolink to Start in Fall
Metrolink’s new line connecting Orange County and the Inland Empire is set to open Oct. 2, officials said Monday.
The commuter rail line, which will originate in San Bernardino and end in Irvine, is expected to help ease some of the worst traffic in Southern California, Metrolink spokesman Peter Hidalgo said.
“Our research has shown one of the most congested corridors in the region is (traffic to and from) the Inland Empire, where there is a high percentage of affordable housing,” Hidalgo said. “The majority of the jobs are located either in Los Angeles County or Orange County.”
Two weekday, rush-hour trains will leave from San Bernardino, stopping at three new Riverside County stations paralleling the Riverside Freeway and three Orange County stations in Orange, Santa Ana and Irvine, according to the Orange County Transportation Authority.
The Orange County stations also serve the Metrolink line to Los Angeles.
Projected daily ridership for the first year is 1,100. That number is expected to double after two new stations open in Anaheim Canyon and Tustin, according to OCTA.
Commuters on the 45-mile line to the Inland Empire are expected to pay $6 to $14 round trip, depending on the distance traveled. Plans for bus service to shuttle passengers to and from their cars are still being finalized, along with exact schedules for the trains, OCTA spokeswoman Elaine Beno said.
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