A recent Metrolink customer survey indicated 71 percent of current riders are essential workers employed by the region’s healthcare, transportation and other critical industries. Also, nearly one-third responded they do not have a vehicle and rely on Metrolink service to get to essential jobs. Restoring service along these lines provides a necessary link for the region’s workforce just as studies reveal that traffic is increasing to pre-COVID levels on U.S. Highway 101 and California State Route 118.
“Our service and schedules are all centered around the needs and safety of our customers,” said Stephanie Wiggins, Metrolink CEO. “We are heartened to see our ridership beginning to rebound and will continue to restore service in a measured and strategic fashion based on need, our ability to socially distance and available funding.”
Safety is foundational at Metrolink, so face masks are required aboard Metrolink trains and on station platforms. Metrolink has implemented enhanced deep cleaning protocols including the use of an electrostatic sprayer that mists each train car with hospital grade disinfectants every day, and an expanded Clean Care Crew that cleans, wipes down and disinfects trains throughout the day.
Plus, people can be assured that there’s plenty of space for social distancing by using the online toolHow Full is My Train? where riders can check any train’s recent ridership levels. To see all the ways Metrolink is working to keep team members and riders safe, please visit metrolinktrains.com/cleancommute.
Metrolink is Southern California’s commuter rail service enabling people to connect to their jobs and explore all that the region has to offer. Every year, Metrolink has nearly 12 million boardings from people who choose to ride the train to avoid gridlock, removing an estimated 9.3 million vehicles from the roads and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 130,000 metric tons. Metrolink is the largest commuter rail agency in California and the third largest in the United States operating seven lines along a 538-mile network that travels across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
