LOS ANGELES – This year, several hundred area students will take Metrolink trains to and from their high school proms being held at Los Angeles Union Station. Public transportation provides a safe alternative to driving on a night when six of 10 students statewide say they feel pressure to use alcohol or drugs, according to the National Association of Broadcasters.

"I'm pleased Metrolink can offer these students a safe, affordable means of transportation to such an important event," said Metrolink CEO John Fenton.

In the months of April and May, students from three high schools along Metrolink's San Bernardino line will take train 373 to L.A.Union Station, where their proms will be held. Additional security will be provided at train stations during these events. At 11:30 p.m., a late-night Metrolink train will take students from Union Station back to their origin stations.

On Saturday, 223 San Gorgonio High School students met at the San Bernardino Station, took pictures and boarded the train.

"We know that a high number of teenagers do get into accidents, and so we felt that this would be a safer way to do it rather than have all our kids travel together in cars and go through the risk of driving on the freeways," said San Gorgonio High School Principal Chuck Schindler. "A lot of our parents, once they found out, were actually excited about it and felt it was safer for their kids to use the trains rather than drive."

ABOUT METROLINK
Metrolink is Southern California's regional commuter rail service in its 19th year of operations. 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.
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