By Noel T. Braymer

The counties that control Metrolink need to demand that it make good connections. Right now each line on Metrolink is run as a private fiefdom for each county. As a result the emphasis is on what that county wants or will pay for, not what will produce the best ridership or greatest passenger revenue. Connections and flexible ticketing which uses discounts to fill empty seats is common for all passenger carriers today except by rail in this country. This can be handled by on-line ticketing which is often done now by cell phone and using bar codes on emails read from passenger’s cell phone. This will encourage more first time and occasional riders who are frustrated by today’s often slow, confusing and sometimes broken ticket machines at the stations.This will not take away from commuter traffic on Metrolink. The extra revenues will help keep commuter fares low and attract more commuters.

What I present is not a complete list of all of the connections on Metrolink or between it and other services. But it shows most of what is available and what is missing when trying to get around Southern California by train. It is not easy to find these connections. Metrolink and the other rail service providers don’t publish this information.Some conductors do an excellent job announcing connections. Other conductors say nothing about connections, even on the same trains that other conductors make connection announcements for. There is no signage at stations including Union Station for information on connections. One can find suggested connections on the Metrolink website. But even it misses some connections. As for joint ticketing between services and easy single tickets for transfers: forget it.

Just looking at these connections, it is clears they are often made by pure chance and not as part of an overall plan. The fact that so many connections are missed often by just minutes or made by just a few minutes confirms this. But this is literally free money being ignored when ridership and revenues are down on Metrolink. In the future with more tracks and SCRIP, it will be possible to add more trains that can all connect with each other. With SCRIP, the run through tracks at LAUS, trains can be combined and extended past Union Station. San Bernardino trains could run to Ventura and Antelope Valley trains to Orange County for example.

Metrolink Connections during the work week
Oceanside to Los Angeles on the Orange County Line

Train 601 arriving in Los Angeles at 6:40 AM
Connection with Ventura County 101 departing at 6:52 AM
Missed connection with Antelope Valley 201 departing at 6:30 AM to Lancaster.

Train 603 arriving in Los Angeles at 7:20 AM
Connections with Amtrak 761 to San Luis Obispo departing at 7:35 AM and a bus connection from Los Angeles at 7:35 AM to San Joaquin 713 at Bakersfield.
Connection with San Bernardino Line 302 at 7:45 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley Line 203 at 7:30 AM to Via Princessa.
The 603 also connects at Fulleton to the 91 Line 702 at 6:59 AM to Riverside.

Train 605 arriving in Los Angeles at 7:50 AM
Connection with train 903 at 8:00 AM to Bob Hope Airport.

Train 607 arriving in Los Angeles at 8:40 AM.
Connection with Ventura County 907 departing at 8:50 AM to Bob Hope.
Missed connection with Antelope Valley 205 at 8:30 AM to Lancaster
Connection with San Bernardino 304 at 9:02 AM

Connections from Los Angeles to Oceanside

Train 600 departing Los Angeles at 8;00 AM
Connection with Ventura County 104 arriving at 7:50 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 204 arriving at 7:26 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 282 arriving at 7:42 AM
Connection with San Bernardino 309 arriving at 7:42 AM

Train 602 departing Los Angeles at 3:20 PM
Missed connection from Ventura County 116 arriving at 3:40 PM
Missed connection from Antelope Valley 220 arriving at 3:35 PM
Missed connection from San Bernardino at 2:35 PM and 3:35 PM

Train 604 departing Los Angeles at 4:30 PM
Connection from Antelope Valley 220 arriving at 4:20 PM
Missed connection from San Bernardino Line 329 arriving at 4:55 PM

Train 606 departing Los Angeles at 5:40 PM
Connection with Train 910 arriving at 5:30 PM from Bob Hope Airport.
Connection with San Bernardino 329 arriving at 4:55 PM

Train 608 departing Los Angeles at 6:35 PM 
Connection with Ventura Line 118 arriving at 6:20 PM
Connection with Antelope Valley 224 arriving at 6:10 PM
Connection with San Bernardino 331 arriving at 6:05 PM

Connections during the work week between Ventura County, Antelope Valley and San Bernardino Lines.

Ventura County Connections

Ventura County 100 arrives in Los Angeles at 6:15 AM
Connection to Antelope Valley 201 departing at 6:30 AM
No connections on San Bernardino Line, train 302 departs at 7:45 AM

 

Ventura County 102 arrives in Los Angeles at 7:14 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 203 departing at 7:30 AM to Via Princessa.
Connection with San Bernardino 302 departing 7:45 AM

Ventura County 104 arrives in Los Angeles at 7:50 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 205 departing at 8:30 AM to Santa Clarita

Ventura County 106 arrives in Los Angeles at 8:30 AM.
Connection with San Bernardino 304 departing at 9:02 AM

Ventura County 108 arrives in Los Angeles at 9:17 AM.
Connection with Antelope Valley 209 departing at 9:20 AM to Lancaster

Ventura County 112 arriving in Los Angeles at 11:40 AM
Missed connection Antelope Valley 209 departing at 11:20 AM
Missed connection San Bernardino 308 departing at 11:20 AM.

Ventura County 116 arriving in Los Angeles at 3:40 PM
Connection with Antelope Valley 215 departing 3:45 PM.
Connection with San Bernardino 318 departing at 3:45 PM

Ventura County 150 arrives in Los Angeles at 5:20 PM
Connection with Antelope Valley 285 departing 5:35 PM and 217 departing 5:50 PM.
Connection with San Bernardino 326 departing at 5:25 PM

Ventura County 118 arrives in Los Angeles at 6:20 PM.
Connection with Antelope Valley 223 at 6:30 PM
Missed connection with San Bernardino 330 departing at 6:20 PM

Antelope Valley connections

Antelope Valley 202 arrives in Los Angeles at 6:55 AM.
Missed connection with Ventura County 101 departing 6:52 AM.

Antelope Valley 204 arrives in Los Angeles at 7:26 AM
Connection with Ventura County 903 departing at 8:00 AM for Bob Hope Airport.
Connection with San Bernardino 302 departing at 7:45 AM.

Antelope Valley 208 arrives in Los Angeles at 8:52 AM
Connection with San Bernardino 304 departing at 9:02 AN

Antelope Valley 210 arrives in Los Angeles at 10:08 AM
Missed connection with Ventura County 107 departing at 9:50 AM

Antelope Valley 212 arrives in Los Angeles at 11:00AM
Connection to San Bernardino 308 departing at 11:20 AM

Antelope Valley 214 arrives in Los Angeles at 12:40 PM
Connection with Ventura County 109 departing at 12:50 PM
Missed connection with San Bernardino 312 departing a 1:20 PM

Antelope Valley 220 arrives in Los Angeles at 3:35 PM
Connection with San Bernardino 319 departing at 3:45 PM

Antelope Valley 222 arrives in Los Angeles at 4:20 PM
Connects with Ventura County 117 departing at 4:25 PM
Missed connection with San Bernardino 320 departing at 4:20 PM

Antelope Valley 220 arrives in Los Angeles at 6:10 PM
Connection with Ventura County 123 departing at 6:40 PM
Connection with San Bernardino 330 departing at 6:20 PM

Antelope Valley 224 arrives in Los Angeles at 8:25 PM
Connection with San Bernardino 334 departing at 8:30 PM

San Bernardino connections

San Bernardino 303 arrives in Los Angeles at 6:20 AM
Connection with Ventura County 101 departing at 6:52 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 201 departing at 6:30 AM.

San Bernardino 307 arrives in Los Angeles at 7:20 AM
Missed connection with Ventura County 103 departing at 7:15 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 203 departing at 7:30 AM

San Bernardino 311 arrives in Los Angeles at 8:00 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 205 departing at 8:30 AM

San Bernardino 315 arrives in Los Angeles at 8:40 AM
Connection with Antelope Valley 207 departing at 9:20 AM

San Bernardino 317 arrives in Los Angeles at 9:45 AM
Connection with Ventura County 107 departing at 9:50 AM

San Bernardino 319 arrives in Los Angeles at 11:30 AM
Missed connection with Antelope Valley 209 departing at 11:20 AM

San Bernardino 321 arrives in Los Angeles at 12:35 PM
Connection with Ventura County 109 departing Los Angeles at 1:00 PM

San Bernardino 327 arrives in Los Angeles at 3:35 PM
Missed connection with Ventura County 115 departing at 3:35 PM
Connection with Antelope Valley 215 departs at 3:45 PM

San Bernardino 329 arrives in Los Angeles at 4:55 PM
Connection with Ventura County 119 departing at 5:10 PM
Missed connection with Antelope Valley 219 departing at 4:45 PM

San Bernardino 331 arrives in Los Angeles at 6:05 AM
Missed connection with Ventura County 121 departing at 5:55 PM
Missed connection with Antelope Valley 221 departing at 5:50 PM

San Bernardino Lines have trains in arriving Los Angeles at 6:05 PM and 7:05 PM
Missed connection with Ventura County 123 departs at 6:40 PM
Missed connection with Antelope Valley 223 departs at 6:30 PM

San Bernardino 337 arrives in Los Angeles at 9:15 PM
Connection with Antelope Valley 227 departs at 9:25 PM

Metrolink/Coaster Connections
The first Coaster train from San Diego reaches Oceanside at 7:30 AM. By then all Metrolink morning trains to Los Angeles have left.In the near future we may see some Metrolink trains extended to San Diego.

Metrolink 850 to Riverside connect with the Coaster leaving Oceanside at 7:35 AM. Good luck getting tickets in five minutes. The 850 arrives at 8:14 AM at Laguna Niguel/ Mission Viejo connecting with Metrolink 687 which leaves at 8:40 AM.

The next Metrolink train 641 leaves Oceanside at 3:00 PM for Fullerton. It misses the Coaster arrival at 3:20 PM. The 3:20 PM Coaster arrival does connect to Orange County 609 departing Oceanside at 3:26 PM for Los Angeles. The 641 connects with Metrolink 808 arriving at 3:40 PM at Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo,with the 808 departing there at 4:00 PM to San Bernardino.