Metrolink formally calls it a “pause in service systemwide” from Dec. 26 to Dec. 29 to complete upgrades, maintenance and repairs — a rare shutdown to update and fix things like their 1930s-era signal relay technology at Union station and replace end-of-service life rails on the “curvy and mountainous Antelope Valley Line.”
The seven Metrolink lines will not operate during the closure days, and Arrow service will be suspended at the same time. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will operate on a modified schedule. Pacific Surfliner trains will bypass Union Station using track that is not impacted by the closures.
According to an official statement, “Planned work will help Metrolink provide safer, more efficient service as the Los Angeles mega-region prepares to host high-profile international events, including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in the coming decade.”
Metrolink Chief of Program Delivery Justin Fornelli said in a statement, “Placing our system temporarily out of service was necessary to complete the final phase of a three-year modernization project at L.A. Union Station. … We’ll be upgrading the signal system where trains enter and exit the station, but we’re not stopping there. This unique break in service will allow us to tackle state-of-good-repair projects across multiple lines, as we work to deliver the safest, most reliable passenger rail experience possible.”
Union Station will get a microprocessor-driven signal system to replace its nearly 100-year-old signal relay technology, and that will let Metrolink simultaneously run multiple trains on multiple tracks as they enter and depart Union Station, officials say, and that means fewer delays and improved safety.
Worker teams will reduce the need for “slow orders” that can delay passengers on the Antelope Valley Line, by replacing old sections of track. On the San Bernardino Line, crews will replace a series of culverts that divert rainwater and storm runoff underneath the tracks to prevent flash flooding
Metrolink Public Relations Manager Meredith Yeoman sums up the projects that will be tackled in late December by saying, “A lot will take place. We’re utilizing a lot of avenues. We have street teams out there at our busiest stops handing out flyers with answers about what is happening.”
She added, “We’ve have signage on our ticket machines since early November and announced the (closure) at the beginning of November.”
Now, in mid-December, the project is “coming up very quickly,” Yeoman said, noting that the system draws 20,000 riders on work days..
Other improvements Metrolink will perform during the closure include, at Union Station, repairing concrete on platforms, freshening paint, cleaning canopies and gutters, adding more lighting tied to emergency power in the tunnel, and servicing high-voltage components to reduce the likelihood of power outages.
The four-day service outage, Metrolink said in a statement, was strategically scheduled during a period of historically low ridership when schools are not in session and many employers provide time off for the holidays.
Source: Orange County Register
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