LOS ANGELES – Metrolink, Southern California’s regional passenger rail provider, has expanded its Wireless Crossing Nearside Station Stop (WCNSS) technology to Los Angeles County with implementation last week at two crossings near the Baldwin Park Station. The new ‘smart’ systems, designed to improve surface traffic flow and safety for pedestrians and drivers near Metrolink stations, went live on Monday, Oct. 13, at rail crossings on either side of the station: Pacific Avenue to the west and Ramona Boulevard to the east.

Previously, safety gates at the Pacific Avenue crossing would activate more than once when westbound Metrolink San Bernardino Line trains traversed the area, adding to local traffic congestion. Eastbound trains had a similar effect at Ramona Boulevard.

The new WCNSS systems address this issue by communicating in real time with Metrolink’s Positive Train Control (PTC) network. They allow the crossing gates to remain idle while trains are approaching or stopped at the station and activate only when they are ready to resume their routes. This reduces delays, easing frustration and enhancing safety for not only train passengers and crews, but also the surrounding community.

“Our investment in ‘smart’ technologies demonstrates how Metrolink is leveraging innovation to shape the future of rail travel in Southern California,” City of Pomona Mayor and Metrolink Board Director Tim Sandoval said. “WCNSS is producing measurable wins for customers and community members, and the results are drawing national attention.”

Metrolink’s long-term effort to upgrade eligible crossings with WCNSS technology was recently recognized by the 2025 Railway Technology Excellence Awards. Metrolink received the Innovation Award in the Smart Mobility category in a nod to the meaningful impact these systems are delivering for local communities. Metrolink first introduced WCNSS technology at an active crossing at Del Obispo Street in Orange County's San Juan Capistrano in June 2024, and thanks to this treatment, nearby drivers and pedestrians were spared an estimated 1,584 activations and 36 hours of delays in the first year of operation.

Metrolink has been steadily expanding WCNSS to new locations throughout its 545-mile system. The Pacific Avenue and Ramona Boulevard crossings are the fifth and sixth locations to go live and mark the first appearance of WCNSS in Los Angeles County. So far in 2025, this technology has also been installed at:

• Juniper Avenue in Fontana (February 2025, San Bernardino County)
• Columbia Avenue in Riverside (June 2025, Riverside County)
• Moorpark Avenue in Moorpark (June 2025, Ventura County)

WCNSS was originally developed for seven rail crossings on Metrolink’s Arrow service, a nine-mile extension connecting San Bernardino and Redlands that launched in October 2022. Metrolink then explored implementing WCNSS at active crossings, identifying priority locations in each county. In total, 52 crossings have been marked for WCNSS upgrades, with work at Sierra Avenue in Fontana expected to be completed during the first half of 2026. The agency continues to pursue funding to integrate WCNSS at the remaining sites.

Work near the Baldwin Park Station was supported by a combination of sources, including a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program grant awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration in 2018. With each new installation, Metrolink is advancing safety and mobility solutions that benefit Southern Californians.