Metrolink CEO Brief – July 12, 2019
First Responder Training to Take Place this Weekend in Irvine
Metrolink is organizing a training event with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) that will take place this weekend in Irvine off the El Toro siding to help first responders become familiar when assisting rail emergencies.
The siding is a section of track off the main line, approximately one mile south of the Irvine Metrolink Station. There will be no impacts to regular Metrolink service during this training exercise.
Attendees, including Metrolink’s Operations teams, System Safety, Security & Compliance, Amtrak, Bombardier, the OCFA, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the fire departments from the cities of Orange, Fullerton, Laguna Hills and Huntington Beach, will learn about the proper ways to respond to a passenger train emergency and includes familiarization with rail equipment, instructions on operating passenger rail car emergency systems and features, and opportunities to practice rail car emergency entry and evacuation techniques.
The participants of this training, wall take part in four sessions between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
City of Orange Receives First Community Link Award
City of Orange officials Tuesday were presented with Metrolink’s first Community Link Award. It includes a resolution signed by Board Chair Brian Humphrey recognizing Orange as a Metrolink Model City and also gold-plated railroad spikes engraved with the names of the Orange City Council members.
The Community Link Award was created to recognize external stakeholders that have made exceptional contributions towards Metrolink’s vision and success.
The City of Orange was recognized because of its commitment to regional connectivity with the recent completion of the Orange Transportation Center parking structure. The structure provided additional parking options at the station to allow for more commuters to choose Metrolink, thereby reducing both congestion on freeways and emissions. Additionally, the structure creates value for riders by incorporating green technologies in its design such as solar panels, electric car charging stations and bike lockers.
This was the first time Metrolink’s Community Link Award was presented while we will be recognizing other cities and stakeholders in the future.
Link Union Station Environmental Impact Report Released
Link Union Station (Link US), which will help Metrolink increase service while reducing travel time by up to 20 minutes, performance and ridership, is another step closer to reality this week as Metro has announced the final Link US Environmental Impact Report has been certified and approved for release.
The Link US project will transform L.A. Union Station (LAUS) by converting it from a “stub-end” station to a “run-through” station by extending tracks south over the US-101 freeway. This will allow rail operators (Metrolink and Amtrak) the ability to increase service at LAUS as trains will no longer need to enter and exit the station on the same tracks. Additionally, this project is a major component of our Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion (SCORE) program and will help expand our service capabilities, while increasing ridership.
An electronic copy of the Final EIR can be found here.
Doing Business with Metrolink: Procurement Update
We currently are accepting proposals for PO793-20 - Locomotive Oils and Lubricants, due July 23 and C3144-20 - Central Maintenance Facility Drainage Redirection, due July 25.
We have also released the RFP for the bundled operations and maintenance contract - MSOP150-20 - Rail Operations, Maintenance and Support Services Procurement - due October 11. The objective of the bundled contract is to obtain a single firm or joint venture that will operate and maintain our system for an anticipated seven years.
Maintenance activities will include inspection and repair of tracks, bridges, structures, wayside signals, communications, rights-of-way, grade crossings and Level 1 train control systems for the entire system. Responsibilities will also include maintenance of SCRRA facilities and all equipment, locomotives, rail cars and rail car components, along with mechanisms such as brake systems, motors, seats and passenger communication equipment.
The vendor portal can be found here and an up-to-date list of open and upcoming procurements can be viewed here.