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Orange County is testing a new electric streetcar service ahead of its 2026 launch
An OC Street Car sits at a rail station in Orange County.
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OCTA
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Courtesy Orange Country Transportation Authority
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A new electric streetcar service connecting Garden Grove and Santa Ana is currently undergoing testing. If all goes as planned, the new service will be in operation starting next summer.
The nearly $650 million project — funded through a combination of state, federal and local funds — was originally set to begin service in 2021, but has been beset by rising costs and delays.
A train operator sits inside one of the OCTAs OC Streetcars for safety testing.
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OCTA
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Courtesy Orange County Transportation Authority
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Back on track
Darrell E. Johnson, Orange County Transportation Authority's CEO, told LAist that the service is 95% complete. The current testing phase could take anywhere between six and 12 months.
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That means testing the train pulls out of the platform properly, control systems are operating properly, and that the train system interfaces with the street signal system along its route.
All aboard
Each car is over 90 feet long and has the capacity to carry up to 211 passengers.
“The fleet itself is eight vehicles. The service that we plan to run will take six of them every day.” Johnson said.
The new service will travel across some of densest areas of Orange County, ferrying an expected 5,000 passengers a day across the route's 10 stops.
The eastern side of the route starts at Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, where over 50 Amtrak and Metrolink trains pass through daily.
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The Civic Center for the county — which houses state, federal and county courthouses as well as Santa Ana City Hall — is in the middle of the route.
The service will end at the Harbor Boulevard — a heavily used bus route that sees more than 10,000 passengers a day.
The front view of an OC Streetcar on tracks.
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OCTA
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Courtesy Orange County Transportation Authority
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Transportation future
OCTA says it plans to charge the exact same amount as their bus system to ride the streetcar service — $2 one way or $5 for a day pass.
The service is slated to run every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with extended hours on weekends.
Officials are hoping for an Aug. 1 launch next year. And they don't anticipate stopping there.
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“This is the beginning of something, whether we go north on Harbor Boulevard or South on Bristol Street or we continue westerly towards Artesia, Cerritos and LAX,” Johnson said. “That’s probably a decision that will be discussed in the next two to five years.”
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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