Metrolink Adds Two Inland Trains

By MEGAN GARVEY

Nov. 12, 1999 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Two new midday Metrolink trains between the Inland Empire and Orange County start rolling Monday, plugging a large gap in the train schedule and giving rail commuters more flexibility.

Transit officials hope the new service will bolster ridership on the line, which serves about 1,400 people daily.

“When you add the midday train we think you’ll find that ridership goes up on other trains, with people knowing that they have another option to get home,” said John Standiford, spokesman for the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

The new service adds a 12:15 p.m. train out of San Bernardino arriving in Irvine at 1:40 p.m., and a 2:05 p.m. train from Irvine arriving in downtown Riverside at 3:10 p.m. The additional trains mean commuters will no longer be stranded for as long as eight hours in midday, during which no train service is currently available.

At a cost of $175,000 a year, paid for by Riverside County tax funds, the added trains should especially help early-morning-shift workers, officials said. The decision to fund the service came after riders were polled earlier this year about ways to increase their use of Metrolink. Riverside officials hope their investment will be recouped in added ridership on the line.

“It’s great news for workers and employers in both Riverside and Orange counties and an important effort in improving mobility along the 91 [Riverside] Freeway corridor,” said Eric Haley,Riverside County transit executive director.

While the line has a 5:06 a.m. train out of San Bernardino, the earliest return trip from Orange County, where many Inland Empire residents commute to work, didn’t depart until after 4 p.m.

“This gives people an opportunity to leave earlier than they were able to before,” said Metrolink spokesman Francisco Oaxaca. “Any time passengers see they have a safety valve--even if they never use it--they feel more comfortable about taking the train.”

A round-trip ticket between Irvine and San Bernardino or Riverside costs $12.50, and a monthly pass on the route is $183.

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More Ways to Go

Two midday runs will be added on Monday to the Metrolink lineup between Riverside and Orange County’s Irvine station.

Line 802 (Northbound)

Station: Departure

Irvine: 2:05 p.m.

Santa Ana: 2:15 p.m.

Orange: 2:20 p.m.

Anaheim Canyon: 2:27 p.m.

West Corona: 2:47 p.m.

Riverside-La Sierra: 2:58