Metrolink Orange County Line

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Metrolink's Orange County Line is a commuter rail that runs from Downtown Los Angeles through Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County connecting with the Coaster commuter rail to San Diego. The Orange County line connects to many attractions in the LA area. The line connects to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball games, Honda Center where the Anaheim Ducks hockey team plays and Disneyland in Anaheim.

The Orange County Line began as Metrolink's fifth line in March 1994. ^[1] With recent changes to the schedule, service is now provided seven days a week. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner supplements Orange County Line service by providing limited stop service along the corridor and more service during middays and weekends.

While the Orange County Line share trackage with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner trains, a few of its stations are shared with the 91 Line and many with the IEOC line.

The Orange County Line runs on BNSF Railway track, under a shared-right-of-way agreement. Several stations, most notably the one in downtown Fullerton, are renovated Spanish Colonial Revival depots originally built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

In October 2005, the Orange County Transportation Authority announced that it would increase service on the Orange County Line, running trains twenty hours daily, seven days a week. The first part of the additional service was implemented in June 2006 with Saturday service, and July 2006 with Sunday service. The plan has drawn criticism as many Metrolink stations are located a significant distance away from important destinations such as Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Irvine Spectrum, claiming that the money could have better used for improving bus service or for freeway expansion. To address these issues, a shuttle runs on weekends to connect to the Irvine Spectrum.

The Orange County line serves 13 stations:

1. Union Station, Los Angeles
2. Commerce, Commerce
3. Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk
4. Buena Park, Buena Park (future station)
5. Fullerton, Fullerton
6. Anaheim, Anaheim
7. Orange, Orange
8. Santa Ana, Santa Ana
9. Tustin, Tustin
10. Irvine, Irvine
11. Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo
12. San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano
13. San Clemente North Beach, San Clemente
14. Oceanside, Oceanside

An additional stop is made at San Clemente Pier but very few Orange County trains stops here. This is the primary Amtrak stop in San Clemente.

[edit] See also

• Metrolink (Southern California)
• San Diego Public Transportation

[edit] External links

• Metrolink Schedules
• Pictures of the Orange County Line Page 1
• Orange County Line Page 2
• Orange County Line Photos Page 3

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=401

v • d • e Metrolink (website)
Commuter lines	91 Line – Antelope Valley Line – Inland Empire-Orange County (IEOC) Line – Orange County Line Riverside Line – San Bernardino Line – Ventura County Line
Connecting rail	Amtrak – Amtrak California – Los Angeles County Metro Rail – San Diego Coaster
Other information	Union Station – Transportation of Los Angeles