Passenger Trains > Run Through Tracks LA Union Station

A couple weeks ago someone was asking if this project is still being planned

Big announcement and progress is being made with an acquisition of a storage building across the freeway from Union Station to be torn down

Tracks that will be run-through reduced from 7 to 4 and tracks, and tracks on the bridge to be reduced from 4 to 2

More information on this web site

https://la.urbanize.city/post/storage-building-make-way-union-station-run-through-tracks

Posted from iPhone

amtrakbill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Big announcement and progress is being made with
> an acquisition of a storage building across the
> freeway from Union Station to be torn down

> https://la.urbanize.city/post/storage-building-mak
> e-way-union-station-run-through-tracks

FACT CHECK: Article dated 01/07/2025.

longliveSP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> amtrakbill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Big announcement and progress is being made
> with
> > an acquisition of a storage building across the
> > freeway from Union Station to be torn down
>
> >
> https://la.urbanize.city/post/storage-building-mak
>
> > e-way-union-station-run-through-tracks
>
> FACT CHECK: Article dated 01/07/2025.

Oh my!

RPA reposted this article today on LinkedIn

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/25 14:53 by amtrakbill.

Nice to know the RPA is staying up to date.....                         [sarcasm]

Glad they scaled this down.     with only 2 or 3 arrivals/departures a day that are not push-pull, the need for this is not all that critical, IMHO. 
Somehow the station was able to function with no push-pull, and many more trains in the 1930's thru 50's.

pdt Wrote:
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> Glad they scaled this down.     with only 2 or
> 3 arrivals/departures a day that are not
> push-pull, the need for this is not all that
> critical, IMHO. 
> Somehow the station was able to function with no
> push-pull, and many more trains in the 1930's thru
> 50's.

Where there are only 2 or 3 arrivals/departures a day (Amtrak long-distance trains) that aren't push-pull, this isn't really for them.  This is for the 10 Pacific Surfliners that essentially pass thru Los Angeles and don't start or end there, this would allow them to just continue on thru.  Eliminating the need to change ends.  There are also some Metrolink trains that could do this too.  Assuming the new "Through Tracks" connect with the Metrolink River Sub on the west side of the LA River, it would allow Orange County Line and 91/Perris Valley Line trains arriving to continue back to their lines without the need to change ends also.  It would give the dispatchers and planners much more flexibility in operations.  Now is that flexibility worth the cost, that is up to everyone to decide.

As far as the 1930's to 1980's are concerned, yes the station worked fine.  But no trains passed thru, they all originated or terminated there.  If you wanted to ride from say, Burbank to San Diego or Fullerton to Santa Barbara, you had to change trains at LA Union Station.  At least Amtrak provides one seat service on this corridor now for the most part.

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Somehow the station was able to function with no
> push-pull, and many more trains in the 1930's thru
> 50's.

I would also dispute the "many more trains" in the 1930's thru the 1950's statement.  It is stated that the influx of World War II traffic resulted in 100+ trains a day serving the then Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal.

The current train volume is:
146 weekday Metrolink trains (this doesn't count deadhead moves to and from Taylor Yard)
34 Amtrak Pacific Surfliners train movements (doesn't count deadheads and counts thru trains as two since they are basically two movements)
6 Amtrak long-distance trains plus the 6 deadhead movements to and from the Amtrak yard/shop

That is a total of 186 known train movements each weekday at LAUS.  I would guess this is well over the total seen in the 1930s to 1950s era.

SCAX3401 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pdt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Somehow the station was able to function with
> no
> > push-pull, and many more trains in the 1930's
> thru
> > 50's.
>
> I would also dispute the "many more trains" in the
> 1930's thru the 1950's statement.  It is stated
> that the influx of World War II traffic resulted
> in 100+ trains a day serving the then Los Angeles
> Union Passenger Terminal.
>
> The current train volume is:
> 146 weekday Metrolink trains (this doesn't count
> deadhead moves to and from Taylor Yard)
> 34 Amtrak Pacific Surfliners train movements
> (doesn't count deadheads and counts thru trains as
> two since they are basically two movements)
> 6 Amtrak long-distance trains plus the 6 deadhead
> movements to and from the Amtrak yard/shop
>
> That is a total of 186 known train movements each
> weekday at LAUS.  I would guess this is well over
> the total seen in the 1930s to 1950s era.

LA never had "commuter" trains because they had the Pacific Electric.

>
> LA never had "commuter" trains because they had
> the Pacific Electric.


And?

Posted from Android

Id have to do some research to see how many departures a day there were back in the heyday. Dont have time now.  
Also are there crew changes at LAUS, on the run thru surfliners?  If so, changing ends makes little difference. 
Im not against the run thru....actually im glad they scaled it down tho.  
At this point , i think money could be better spent on getting the LA firefighting force/equipment up to snuff. 
 

LA firefighing equipment is a city function, with little connection to railway improvements.

in the end, money is money

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > LA never had "commuter" trains because they had
> > the Pacific Electric.
>
>
> And?
>
> Posted from Android

The Pacific Electric provided more service then the steam railroads could because of their extensive route structure. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/25 13:45 by PHall.

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Glad they scaled this down.     with only 2 or
> 3 arrivals/departures a day that are not
> push-pull, the need for this is not all that
> critical, IMHO. 
> Somehow the station was able to function with no
> push-pull, and many more trains in the 1930's thru
> 50's.

Did it function well? It’s not the 1930s or 50s. The American way of running commuter trains is obsolete. Through running trains are needed to properly serve LA and he’s surrounding communities.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LA never had "commuter" trains because they had
> the Pacific Electric.

Doesn't really matter.  Train movements are train movements when it cames to the how busy LAUS is.  I would imagine LAUS is as busy now as ever if not more so.

Also, Metrolink has pivoted away from the "commuter" concept for a fleet of trains inbound to LA in the morning and a fleet of outbounds in the afternoon.  It still has more during those times since people still go to work during those times but has adpoted a more "regional railroad" schedule which in my use since it took effect, has made going to places other than downtown a hell of alot easier.  And the early ridership reports seem to show people liking the new schedule.  Now if Metrolink can only get out of the mechanical breakdown issues that have seen to plagued the system in the last few months.