A man was struck and killed by a Metrolink train in Riverside Thursday morning. The man was struck around 5:30 a.m. about 2 miles west of the Downtown Riverside station, on a stretch of track where trains travel at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, according to Metrolink. more ›

Metrolink's 2011-12 budget has received final approval after "being adopted by all five of its member agencies," according to a news release. The budget, approved by RCTC, VCTC, SANBAG, OCTA and Metro, will provide for expanded safety enhancements, a new, onboard customer service initiative, 22 new trains (including four express), and no increase in base fares. more ›

The seemingly neverending 360 Tour brings U2 to Angel Stadium on Friday and Saturday night. With fans expected to come from all corners of Southern California, traffic will be a mess, especially coinciding with Friday rush hour. If you're going to the show, try to carpool or -- better yet -- take the train. more ›

Due to Monday's Memorial Day holiday, Metrolink will be offering limited service. Additionally, service will be curtailed on Sunday due to scheduled signal maintenance. more ›

The plan calls for $53 billion in funding for new and existing rail projects over the next six years with $8 billion marked specifically for high-speed rail. But don't go selling your car just yet, 2012 is the earliest that work would begin in California... on a line connecting Fresno and Merced. more ›

If you think life is hard on a cruise ship, try taking the train! Unstoppable pits Captain Kirk and Malcolm X against an iron horse with a serious vendetta, several tons of chemicals, and a hundred schoolkids thrown in for good measure. more ›

The plan in Congress was to put aside $4 billion for high speed rail in 2011 federal appropriations, but it's been cut by 62%, down to $2.5 billion. Tomorrow, a group of Southern California leaders are coming together to rally for that funding restoration. more ›

For Bike Week LA, Metro this afternoon announced new rules that are sure to make bicycling commuters happy. Current law bans bicycles from many Metro Rail trains during rush hour. This Summer, however, plans are afoot to life the restriction "once directional signs are installed to steer bikes to certain areas of the train cars where they can be safely accommodated," the transit agency announced. more ›

Metrolink today is previewing one of their new 117 Crash Energy Management (CEM)-enabled cars. After the deadly 2005 Metrolink crash in Glendale that left 11 dead, officials began looking into safer cars. The 2008 crash that left 25 dead in Chatsworth only reemphasized that need for safety. more ›

Curbed LA, via the Las Vegas Sun, is reporting that the DesertXpress train planned between Las Vegas and Victorville will begin construction this year. This route, if extended from Victorville, would ideally connect with California's High Speed Rail project in Palmdale. Another project also in the works would bring a high speed MagLev train from Vegas to Anaheim. more ›

Metrolink today received the first two cars in a pilot program that seeks to make commuter rail safer for the Los Angeles region. The new passenger Crash Energy Management (CEM)-enabled cars, which will supposedly reduce the impact with "unique collision-absorption technology," are a first for the country. more ›

A transit lobbying group today released their formal position on budget-saving Metrolink proposals to either raise fares or jettison more than 50 trains from its schedule, which included canceling Orange County Weekend Service and a variety of other trains. Bart Reed, the Executive Director of The Transit Coalition, said fare increases would better serve ridership. more ›

Metrolink says they are in a pickle. They've either have to raise fares, cut more than 50 trains or some combination thereof. Now that Wednesday's announcement as settled a bit, Damien Newton at Streetsblog LA has collected the thoughts from experts on the issue. Some say that Metrolink usually serves as one-part of a passenger's trip, therefore making all public transit useless to them. Add to that a comment from economist Zach Gutierrez which could mean more cars on the road... more ›

In a move to possibly freak everyone out and accept proposed fare increases, Metrolink next week will consider cuts to over 50 trains. That includes all Orange County weekend service, 10 weekday trains on the Ventura County Line and various other trains. As Metro's Steve Hymon notes, "most of the cuts are aimed at trains that run on weekends, outside rush hour on weekdays or trains that travel in opposite direction of rush hour traffic on weekdays." more ›

Blue Line trains will run every 6 minutes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow to help move the hundreds of thousands of people expected at tomorrow's Lakers victory parade. Additionally, the Red and Purple Lines will carry extra train cars and Gold and Green Lines are prepared to add more trains to service if needed. "Metro Bus services will be significantly impacted in the event area, especially bus lines that either run on or cross Figueroa, Flower or Grand streets, between Olympic and Martin Luther King boulevards," the agency said in a statement. "Delays can be expected beginning about 10 a.m. and will continue until the end of the parade for all passengers riding in the Metro Bus lines: 28, 30, 31, 35, 37, 38, 40, 42, 55, 70, 71, 76, 78, 79, 81, 96, 102, 200, 204, 335, 355, 378, 439, 442, 444, 445, 446, 447, 450x, 460, 484, 485, 550, 714, 728, 730, 740, 754, 770." more ›

Yesterday, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station deputies arrested a 15-year-old for allegedly boarding an Antelope Valley line Metrolink train with an automatic assault weapon. more ›

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As of part of today's regionwide 10 a.m. earthquake drill, Metro will be slowing its trains for one hour between 10 and 11 this morning. Their purpose is "so maintenance personnel can simulate inspections on track and other rail infrastructure... Over the course of this one hour period, trains may run at minimum operating speeds (under 20 mph), depending on the location of the train and the exact time. All passengers riding during this time period should expect some delays and plan accordingly." An estimated 5.2 million people are expected to take part in today's Great Southern Califronia ShakeOut exercise. Watch these two videos to catch up. more ›

Metrolink is using Twitter to update their service. The latest: "Ventura Co. Line to be shut down in the Chatsworth area due to heavy smoke in tunnel area. More details to follow." UPDATE: Metrolink has some bus bridge alternatives, but depending on where you are and where you're going, you'll need to see their specific details. more ›

James E. Moore II, chairman of USC's department of industrial and systems engineering and director of the transportation engineering program, writes in an LA Times op-ed piece that "if Metrolink service were discontinued tomorrow and all those passengers got back in their cars, there would be no perceptible change in freeway congestion or travel times." He goes on to say that "Metrolink actually makes traffic conditions worse because it consumes resources that SCRRA's member agencies could dedicate to effective congestion relief measures, such as the creation of priced freeway lanes that can also operate as busways." His piece, which gives a nice quick history of the service, makes some interesting points. But the reality is, Metrolink is most likely here to stay. more ›

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This story didn't happen at Union Station. It was about four years too early for that. But at least in reading the story, we can imagine that it happened there, as all good noir stories should. more ›

On this November's ballot, we will be voting on Proposition 1, a bond that will help fund a high speed rail route that is planned to have a two hour-forty minute train trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco. USA Today columnist David Grossman writes his experiences and why we need it: more ›

There are few places in Los Angeles where you can feel the history, where if you squint hard enough, you could easily be in the 1930s, and yet that have a key place in Los Angeles' future. That place is Union Station, one of the most beautiful buildings in our city. Most of it is open to the public and it's central to anyone who wants to take a train, bus or subway (which makes it instrumental, as Los Angeles looks toward a future of public transportation). It has Traxx, a fine dining restaurant and it's bar, as well as a cafe. You can't take a bad picture there. It's truly a fantastic treasure. more ›

Three Metrolink Oceanside bound trains from San Bernardino were canceled early this morning after a "person or body" was hit by a freight train late last night. The investigation on this "man or body" lasted until around 6:00 a.m. when the train scheduled resumed service. 110 FREEWAY. Unfortunately, Caltrans didn't get the northbound 110 Freeway open until after last night's rush hour. It re-opened at 7:40, a little over 24-hours after problems were first reported. more ›

Today, City Council President Eric Garcetti announced two motions he is putting forward. If you know the biking community, you know these two proposals came from Garcetti listening to the community as the problems/solutions here are often heard within the cycling community. From a Garcetti press release: more ›

After weeks and weeks of testimony, the verdict is finally in for Juan Alvarez, the man who left his SUV on Metrolink train tracks in Glendale causing one train to derail and crash into another train back in January 2005. 11 people were killed and another 180 were injured. Alvarez said he was only trying to kill himself and that the resulting train crash was not intended. The jury didn't think so and found him guilty of 11 counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson (he doused his car with gas). more ›

Metrolink's ridership got a shot of adrenaline yesterday as ridership jumped to an all time high of 50,232 passengers -- a 15.6% increase since Tuesday for the regional commuter train service. more ›

Doesn't this make you all warm and fuzzy? more ›

Just in time for Earth Day, Metrolink officials announced the arrival of a new kind of train yesterday -- one that's cleaner for the environment and more horsepower, hauling more train cars and passengers. Here is the good news: more ›