Annual participation reflects Metrolink’s foundational focus on safety and emergency preparedness

LOS ANGELES – This Thursday, Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m., Metrolink, Southern California’s regional passenger rail provider, will join millions of Californians for the Great ShakeOut, an annual, worldwide earthquake drill that allows schools, workplaces, community organizations and public agencies like Metrolink to practice earthquake preparedness in coordination. At the designated time, Metrolink will activate emergency protocols, including its pioneering early earthquake warning (EEW) technology – a unique integration linking the agency’s Positive Train Control (PTC) system and the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) ShakeAlert platform. Participating trains will be slowed for several minutes in response to the simulated earthquake, with negligible delays expected.

“Safety is fundamental to everything we do at Metrolink, and preparedness requires more than having the right technology in place,” Metrolink Board Chair Doug Chaffee said. “It means continually testing our systems, practicing our response and making sure our people are prepared when the unexpected happens. Our continued participation in the Great California ShakeOut reflects the comprehensive approach we take every day to protect our riders, employees and the communities we serve.”

Metrolink participates annually in the Great California ShakeOut as part of the agency’s broader commitment to safety and preparedness. Throughout the year, officials conduct drills and exercises to train employees, crews and first responders for a range of potential emergencies across the 545-mile, six-county system.

“Here in Southern California, earthquakes are one of many operational scenarios our teams prepare for,” Metrolink Chief Operations Officer Rod Bailey said. “Metrolink frequently goes above and beyond mandated safety regulations, and our cutting-edge early earthquake warning system is just one example of how we are embracing technology to set a higher standard and keep customers and personnel safe.”

Metrolink’s first-of-its-kind partnership with USGS ShakeAlert enables earthquake-detection sensors to communicate real-time, location-based data directly with trains. This allows the PTC system to automatically stop or slow trains when dangerous conditions are present. When qualifying seismic activity occurs, ShakeAlert data also helps track inspectors identify potentially affected areas and deploy crews to assess the infrastructure and make any necessary repairs before normal service resumes.

The upgraded EEW system launched on all Metrolink-owned and -operated tracks in 2023. Since then, Metrolink trains have been slowed on several occasions based on local shaking, and in April 2025, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake near the city of Julian in San Diego County halted three San Bernardino Line trains.