Other new ticket options include new 7-Day Pass and additional discounts for students

LOS ANGELES - Beginning July 1, Southern Californians can buy an unlimited weekend promotional pass to ride Metrolink trains all weekend for only $10. Unlimited weekend riding also will be an added value for Monthly Pass holders under this promotion at no additional cost. These additions and other modifications to the agency's fare policy were approved by the Metrolink Board of Directors on Friday, May 13, and will go into effect on July 1, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend and well in advance of the I-405 closure on July 15-18.

The $10 Weekend Pass will be valid systemwide from Friday at 7 p.m. until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and includes free bus and rail connections, except Amtrak, across the region.

"We want to attract more weekend riders. The $10 Weekend Pass allows passengers to travel across the region as much as they like, all weekend long. Additionally, we added that flexibility to the Monthly Pass at no charge," said Metrolink CEO John Fenton. "This allows someone to travel to destinations, theme parks and civic centers for one low fee without worrying about filling up their car with gas, sitting in traffic or paying to park."

The following ticket options also will go into effect on July 1:

· New 7-Day Pass will be valid between origin and destination stations seven consecutive days from the purchase date.

· New 10 percent student discount added to One-Way and Round-Trip tickets. Students will continue to receive discounts on the Monthly Pass and begin receiving discounts on the 7-Day Pass.

The 10-Trip Ticket will be discontinued this fall. A significant amount of revenue loss is attributed to this ticket type due to passengers' failure to validate, resulting in fare evasion.

"The 7-Day Pass will eliminate the usage of validators, which will make taking Metrolink even more convenient for passengers by eliminating a step before boarding the train and saves the agency in maintenance costs," Fenton said. "Going forward, we expect to collect a significant amount of revenue that would have been lost due to misuse of the 10-Trip Ticket."

Beginning July 5, Metrolink customers traveling in Orange County can take advantage of the new OC Link Pass. This pass allows passengers to ride both intracounty Metrolink trains and buses operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) on weekdays for $7; seniors and persons with disabilities ride for $6.

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.