LOS ANGELES - After considerable discussion, the Metrolink Board of Directors has opted to suspend the Holiday Toy Express for 2013. The decision was made to help close a $10.2 million funding gap for the 2013-14 Fiscal Year.

The Metrolink Board of Directors decided the agency could not afford the holiday train's $269,000 annual expense.

The rail agency is considering seeking private funds or corporate sponsors to operate the train in the future. But without significant private sponsorship commitments in place, the Board of Directorsfelt it would not be prudent to move forward with this year's Holiday Toy Express.

Funding for the Holiday Toy Express will be reconsidered by the Metrolink Board of Directors for 2014. The Holiday Toy Express had operated the past 16consecutive years.

ABOUT METROLINK (www.metrolinktrains.com)

Metrolink is Southern California's regional commuter rail service in its 20th year of operation. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), a joint powers authority made up of an 11-member board representing the transportation commissions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, governs the service. Metrolink operates over seven routes through a six-county, 512 route-mile network. Metrolink is the third largest commuter rail agency in the United States based on directional route miles and the eighth largest based on annual ridership.

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