Last week, on Monday, Oct. 21, we introduced the largest schedule change in Metrolink history, adding 32 additional trains, which increased weekday service by more than 22%—a major step in our ongoing evolution that I call “Metrolink Reimagined.” This shift toward a regional passenger rail service offers our customers more midday options and greater connectivity.
To help with the transition, Metrolink staff hosted pop-up events at LA Union Station and engaged with customers on trains and at stations throughout our system before and during the first week of operation. Even with these measures in place, the new schedule has ushered in a period of adjustment for Metrolink and our riders. We’ve experienced significant delays and disruptions, compounded by interference from freight carriers, which have severely impacted our customers.
As we work through these challenges, including cascading delays and cancellations on our San Bernardino Line, our team remains dedicated to providing the best possible service for our riders and delivering the schedule we committed to. I appreciate the hard work and solution-focused responsiveness our team has shown as issues arise.
We continue to experience delays and disruptions due to challenges with freight operators that own and dispatch several high-volume segments of our system, primarily on the Inland Empire-Orange County, 91/Perris Valley and Riverside lines. The last-minute track changes and extensive delays caused by BNSF Railway during peak hours not only impact our customers, they threaten our growth as an agency – and we are working behind the scenes to improve on-time performance and service reliability with our freight partners.
Despite the growing pains, we saw record weekday post-pandemic ridership last week with a daily average of 21,986 boardings—a nearly 6% increase over the previous three-week period. And this Tuesday, we set a new single-day post-pandemic record of 22,923 boardings. Hopefully, these are harbingers of good things to come as new customers discover the convenience of using Metrolink.
Looking ahead, our Holiday Express Train returns Thanksgiving weekend through Dec. 21, with festive decorations, joyful carolers and beloved holiday characters that are sure to bring cheer to all ages. SoCal Explorer loyalty rewards members and the Metrolink Board of Directors will have early access to purchase tickets starting tomorrow with general sales opening next Monday, Nov. 4 at metrolinktrains.com/holidaytrain.