pieces came together."
Stanger and his team opted not to
seek federal funds so the project
was spared cumbersome and time-
consuming federal environmental
reviews. They made each city
responsible for local environmental
clearance of their stations and
pledged a short schedule and fixed
budget. In contracting for operators
and maintenance work, they also
insisted on a no-strike clause.
Moreover, with rider convenience
in mind, the Metrolink visionaries
the concept
of a universal
fare policy,
becoming the
first transit
company in
Southern
California
to arrange
free transfers
with other
operators.
member had
a unique role
to play.
interference
with local
and state
opponents.
chair, who had experience guiding
development of the Metro Blue Line
linking Long Beach and Los Angeles,
helped the 11-member board
of 20 focused on the task at hand,
and he had the foresight to hire John
Rinard, a veteran freight rail engineer
who liked to build railroads and build
them fast. Rinard would become
Metrolink's first engineering director.
were crazy," Rinard says of Stanger
and Peterson's plans to build a
commuter rail line from scratch.
But he embraced the challenge
and quickly gained the support
and respect of the new Metrolink
board, especially during protracted
negotiations to buy right-of-way from
the railroads.
did was hire freight guys because
they could talk the language. It's a
fraternity," says Bacharach.
footwork melded, and Southern
California's new commuter rail
system was delivered on time within
budget.
train rolled out of the Moorpark
Station bound for Los Angeles
Union Station at 5:06 a.m. on Oct.
26, 1992. It marked the return of
regional passenger rail service for the
first time since the last of the Pacific
Electric Big Red cars quit running
several decades earlier.
lines Ventura County, Santa Clarita
(later the Antelope Valley Line) and
San Bernardino. Service to Riverside
was added the following year. Then
the Northridge earthquake struck,
isolating many commuters in the
Antelope Valley and elsewhere, so
Metrolink's small cadre of workers,
contractors and Navy Seabees
sprang into action.
Antelope Valley Line, delivering
six stations in six weeks along the
corridor. The Lancaster and Palmdale
stations were built in a mere three
days, and trains started running just
one week after the earthquake rocked
the region.
DEBUTED WITH
THREE RAIL LINES
VENTURA, SANTA
CLARITA (LATER
THE ANTELOPE
VALLEY LINE) AND
SAN BERNARDINO.
RIVERSIDE WAS
ADDED THE
FOLLOWING YEAR.