Passenger Trains > Sounder Cars go into service

News Release from Metrolinki

METROLINK OFFERS PASSENGERS CONGESTION RELIEF WITH LEASED EQUIPMENT
Rail cars leased from Seattle’s Sound Transit will help relieve crowded conditions on some Metrolink trains.



LOS ANGELES, CA, Friday, Sept. 17: As if Mondays aren’t difficult enough! This coming Monday, Sept. 20, Metrolink passengers may find themselves doing a double-take at Union Station – because Metrolink is bringing in rail cars from Sounder, Seattle’s commuter railroad, to help ease crowded conditions on some trains.



The cars are built by the same manufacturer as Metrolink’s cars and have the same basic interior but, with their distinctive blue and green wave design on the outside, they look quite different.



“We knew that we would eventually get to this point,” said Metrolink Board Chair and Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Bill Alexander. “We’ve been operating for twelve years now and every year more people are choosing the speed and reliability of Metrolink as an alternative to fighting the traffic on the freeways. We need to add these cars to ensure the comfort of all our passengers.”



Metrolink has been breaking ridership records throughout the year – and has had several days when boarding counts exceeded 40,000 passenger trips. As ridership increased the commuter railroad started looking into leasing rail cars from Sounder to augment capacity. The lease process – from sending a bid to Sound Transit, which operates Sounder, to getting the Sounder cars down to Los Angeles and refitted to making some minor modifications to get them into service – took about 10 months.

Metrolink has leased 12 passenger cars and 1 locomotive from Sounder; the lease is for up to three years.



The first train set using the Sounder cars will be on Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line on Monday, September 20, 2004; that train, #322, leaves Los Angeles Union Station at 5:50 p.m.



A second set of six Sounder cars is expected to be in service on Thursday, September 23, on train #320, which departs Union Station at 5:32 p.m.



The Metrolink passenger cars the Sounder cars are replacing will be used throughout the Metrolink system to add capacity to trains that are experiencing overcrowding; these changes will be made over the next several weeks.



For train schedules and directions to the nearest Metrolink station check at www.metrolinktrains.com or call (800) 371-LINK



Mundos Note
Starting October 4, two additional round trips will operate on the Los Angeles-San Bernrdino Line.

A step in the right direction. Mundo, do you here anything on the operations contract? Lots of rumors on our side. I hope they don't try to fix what ain't broke.

Rumor has it that Amtrak won't be bidding on the Metrolink operating contract.

It is my understanding that SCRRA, wants Amtrak to assume the libility just like
Boston Did.

I can just see Herzog trying to run this service!

Most of the current employees would not stay if Herzog were able to get the contract. The only way a change would be semi painless is if a high percentage of current employees leave Amtrak for the new operator.

You guys remember when Metrolink used the GO cars from Canada? There were problems with the voltage compatability on these car with Metrolinks cars? What exactly was the issue with these cars and when were they used. 1995 maybe?

I took this picture at El Monte but like most of my prints it is not dated:

http://www.trainweb.org/vangab/temp/go3.jpg

Sal Garcia
Pico Rivera, California

Sal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You guys remember when Metrolink used the GO cars
> from Canada? There were problems with the voltage
> compatability on these car with Metrolinks cars?
> What exactly was the issue with these cars

The voltage incompatibility is right, I don't precisely remember but something like 480v vs. 580v.