Contractors attend a site walk in Rancho Cucamonga ahead of scheduled works.
Metrolink has taken a major step toward expanding capacity and improving service along our busiest rail corridor with the proposed award of a construction contract for highly anticipated siding extension projects that will transform the San Bernardino Line. In July, the Metrolink Board of Directors authorized a $51.5 million construction contract with Granite Construction Company to deliver the two projects, which are part of Metrolink’s Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion (SCORE) Program. Construction is anticipated to begin later this year, and both projects are scheduled to be completed ahead of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line carries more riders than any other line on our system and is also used by freight providers and long-haul Amtrak trains. These projects will extend rail sidings in Rancho Cucamonga and Los Angeles, adding critical track capacity by allowing trains traveling in opposite directions to pass one another more efficiently and reducing operational constraints that can contribute to delays.
The Rancho Cucamonga Siding Extension Project will extend the existing siding track by approximately 4,150 feet west of Rancho Cucamonga Station, bringing the siding to approximately three miles in length. The project also includes improvements at the Hellman Avenue and Archibald Avenue grade crossings, along with signal and drainage upgrades.
Closer to Los Angeles Union Station, the Marengo Siding Extension Project will add approximately 3,500 feet to the existing siding near Cal State LA, creating a passing track approximately two miles long. New signals, railroad infrastructure and improvements near the Marengo and Soto Street overpasses are also included.
While each project will provide important reliability and operational benefits on its own, their combined impact is even greater. Along with other SCORE enhancements, these investments will unlock the infrastructure capacity needed to support 30-minute bidirectional service during high-ridership periods as demand grows and operating funding becomes available.
Improvements like these are especially important as Southern California prepares to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. To support this effort, Metrolink’s SCORE Program is making targeted investments in tracks, signals, stations and grade crossings across our network to strengthen reliability, capacity and safety ahead of LA28 – though the benefits will serve customers and the region long after the event concludes.
The Marengo and Rancho Cucamonga siding extension projects are made possible through a combination of California Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and federal Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) Olympics readiness funding. With construction imminent, Metrolink is another step closer to realizing the promise of more frequent and flexible rail service between Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.