Metrolink San Bernardino Line Improvements

[D.S. Lewith]

Aside from the Orange County line, the San Bernardino line is the only other line that is most likely to be electrified (and pretty much the first to be electrified if Metrolink ever starts electrifying). In tandem with the Foothill Extension, Metrolink can start electrifying the San Bernardino line. This includes grade-separating the line to eliminate grade crossings. The following major changes include:
* El Monte Railroad: The El Monte Busway will be retooled into a multi-track rail line. This includes rebuilding the innermost lanes of I-10 between Cal State LA and El Monte. The Red/Purple line will be extended on the rebuilt El Monte Busway before terminating at El Monte Transit Center.
* Ramona Boulevard elevated railway: A new elevated rail line will be built following Ramona Boulevard before reconnecting with the existing tracks at Alderson Avenue. The El Monte station will be relocated to the El Monte Transit Center, and Baldwin Park will also have a new station.
* Sunset Branch: East of El Monte, the tracks branch off into a new rail line following I-10. The rail line goes under a tunnel east of Covina before connecting to the UP's Sunset Subdivision at Pomona. At Fontana Gateway, the line reconnects to I-10 before branching off on Redlands boulevard on an elevated rail line to connect with the Arrow Commuter Rail and then reconnects to I-10 southeast. The Sunset Branch meets up with the UPRR's Sunset Subdivision at Beaumont, and largely parallels it all the way to Indio. Amtrak can run Pacific Surfliner trains run through the Sunset Branch, as well as have the Sunset Limited rerouted to the new line (tracks will branch off to reconnect with the UP's Sunset Subdivision). Metrolink can run a new Coachella Valley line.

Upon the rebuilding of the San Bernardino Line, Amtrak's Southwest Chief will be rerouted again to the San Bernardino Line, as Amtrak will not have to deal with BNSF freight trains between LA and San Bernardino. This will cost Riverside Amtrak service (and Fullerton will only have the Pacific Surfliner for Amtrak) but El Monte and Montclair get Amtrak service in return. In terms of electric fleet, Metrolink would most likely go for electric locomotives as they do not have to replace their carriages. They can either buy second-hand ALP-46s from NJT (the upcoming Multilevel III EMUs would render them redundant) or commission Siemens an order of ACS-64s. Additionally, if they want to retire the last of the Bombardier cars then they can commission Stadler an order of bievel EMUs that Caltrain is getting.

[bdawe]

replacing the overweight guardians with modern EMU would be a strong positive for metrolink imo. You're leaving so many of the positives of electrification on the table if you go with locomotives.

Ideally, if metrolink is committed enough to electrify, they should be committed enough to run frequent service to absorb a good chunk of the diesel fleet on not-yet-electrified lines.

[Jeff Smith]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_Line

Is this an actual project on the table? At 56.5 miles it's probably with the range for electrification; does the ridership justify it? Not sure what the current schedule has (wiki says 20 daily trains), or what the station spacing is. That plays into efficacy of electrification.

Not sure about EMU's; the trend on the east coast is loco pulled with multi-levels, although NJT has a huge order for EMU multi-levels. What type of coaches are they using now, single or multi?

It's a line I hope to ride someday; I've been planning a cross-country trip on the Builder to Portland, then the Cascades up to Seattle. After a couple days, down to the LA area via the Coast Starlight to spend a couple days. So this line would be on my list, if just to say I went through "Rancho Cucamonga" lol.

[D.S. Lewith]

replacing the overweight guardians with modern EMU would be a strong positive for metrolink imo. You're leaving so many of the positives of electrification on the table if you go with locomotives.

Metrolink likely wants to go with a relatively less expensive option, hence locomotives, but if funds permit and more is electrified then they can commission an order of bilevel EMUs from Stadler.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_Line

Is this an actual project on the table? At 56.5 miles it's probably with the range for electrification; does the ridership justify it? Not sure what the current schedule has (wiki says 20 daily trains), or what the station spacing is. That plays into efficacy of electrification.

It's an idea.
Metrolink 2020 daily ridership is projected to be at 15875 under current conditions. Based on the San Bernadino Infrastructure Improvement Study then double-tracking combined with adding 6 additional trains (alongside with the Downtown San Bernadino Rail and Redlands Passenger Rail), including a Redlands express service, will yield the best increase in ridership

Not sure about EMU's; the trend on the east coast is loco pulled with multi-levels, although NJT has a huge order for EMU multi-levels. What type of coaches are they using now, single or multi?

NJT uses a mix of single level and bilevel fleet but NJT plans on replacing the Arrows with the multilevel EMUs (and SEPTA has plans to do the same with the Silverliner I-IVs)

[njtmnrrbuff]

Metrolink presently uses double decker coaches from both Bombardier and Rotem. All of the cab cars are Rotem type. The San Bernardino Line would be a great candidate for electrification given the fact that the stops are close to each other and the line has high ridership in the Metrolink system.

[Jeff Smith]

Electrification would definitely build on that ridership, as well as the increased frequencies. EMU's with better acceleration would help with timekeeping. Sounds like it's a ways off though. Still, probably a better idea than the cost overrun plagued HSR.

[Jeff Smith]

Hope you don't mind, I'm going to broaden the topic just a bit! Owner's prerogative!

I believe this is the pre-COVID schedule: https://metrolinktrains.com/schedules/? ... rdino+Line. Pity it doesn't include Mileposts for the station. Electrification would surely quicken this, as would: https://www.gosbcta.com/projects/

https://www.gosbcta.com/project/metroli ... to-rancho/

he Lilac to Rancho Double Track project is critical to regional mobility and will enhance rail operations on Metrolink’s busiest commuter rail line by increasing average train speed, reducing travel times, and enhancing overall capacity of the Metrolink San Bernardino Line. Preliminary engineering and CEQA clearance is complete and SBCTA achieved 30 percent design of the project in 2018. Metrolink has identified a substantial portion of this segment, from CP Lilac to the Rialto Metrolink station, which includes a pedestrian underpass, as a priority in its multi-year Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion (SCORE) Program and is working to secure construction funding for this segment.

The Lilac to Rancho Double Track Project has the following features:
Approximately 3 miles of additional double track in the cities of Rialto and San Bernardino.
Addition of a second passenger platform at the existing Metrolink Rialto Station, as well a pedestrian underpass for access.
Ten at-grade crossings within and near the double track footprint with quiet zone safety enhancements.
New railroad signals as well as Positive Train Control (PTC) considerations and required improvements.
Civil improvements including grading, drainage and utilities.
Modifications to 8 at-grade crossings within the Project footprint to improve roadway profiles.

[Backshophoss]

Remember Metrolink shares track with UP and BNSF and both move Double stack intermodal trains,so figure on both
objecting to wire over the tracks or 3rd rail installation.
Also figure on some of the locals climbing on the poles to be "famous" till they touch the wire and pass onward.
By now,the LA light rail and Subways had stunts happen on the DC powered wire or in the tunnels 3rd rail other then Movie shoots!

[njtmnrrbuff]

That's very true about Metrolink sharing track with UP and BNSF. I know that many of the tracks that run past San Bernardino Station are owned by BNSF and I think UP passes there. I believe that the right of way that continues to Downtown San Bernardino is owned by SCRRA or at least Metrolink gets the priority. No long freight trains on the right of way to Downtown San Bernardino. I believe that the Metrolink San Bernardino Line is owned by Southern California Regional Rail Authority. The right of way that the 91 Line trains use is owned by BNSF.

[bdawe]

Not sure about EMU's; the trend on the east coast is loco pulled with multi-levels, although NJT has a huge order for EMU multi-levels. What type of coaches are they using now, single or multi?

[deleted intemperate commentary]

Part of the problem with buying new locomotives is that you're always in the trap of creating another political sunk cost by the time it comes down to replacing the coaches "Well, we all ready have these perfectly good locomotives, so we should save money by ordering coaches". I get it, money is always an issue especially where it needs a 2/3 vote of approval, but they can tell the public how much faster the trains can be to get a bigger bond measure

Anywho, here's a dated map of track ownership in the LA region, with UP in Yellow and BNSF in ORange and commuter agencies in teal

[D.S. Lewith]

That's very true about Metrolink sharing track with UP and BNSF. I know that many of the tracks that run past San Bernardino Station are owned by BNSF and I think UP passes there. I believe that the right of way that continues to Downtown San Bernardino is owned by SCRRA or at least Metrolink gets the priority. No long freight trains on the right of way to Downtown San Bernardino. I believe that the Metrolink San Bernardino Line is owned by Southern California Regional Rail Authority. The right of way that the 91 Line trains use is owned by BNSF.

The Downtown San Bernardino train tracks is owned by Omnitrans (a public agency for San Bernardino County) although the Arrow line will be transferred to Metrolink.

The only tracks where BNSF and UP own include
* BNSF
** The entirety of the 91 Line between LA and the SCRRA Perris Valley Subdivision
* UPRR
** The entirety of the Riverside Line
** The Ventura County line between Ventura and Moorpark

Everything else is owned by Metrolink.

Remember Metrolink shares track with UP and BNSF and both move Double stack intermodal trains,so figure on both
objecting to wire over the tracks or 3rd rail installation.

Metrolink owns most of the tracks they run their trains on, and you don't really see any freight trains on the San Bernadino line (though it does briefly go through the UP's San Gabriel subdivision). The only parts where the two would sensibly object would be where they do own the tracks.

[Backshophoss]

The net problem is Substation siting,costs, and the roar of the NIMBYS after the public hearings.
Then the expense of building the Catenary and the distribution grid follows
This is a HARD SELL in the land of cars and car culture.

[bdawe]

The net problem is Substation siting,costs, and the roar of the NIMBYS after the public hearings.
Then the expense of building the Catenary and the distribution grid follows
This is a HARD SELL in the land of cars and car culture.

Los angeles votes by overwhelming majorities to build more transit that they don't even use all that much all the time.

[njtmnrrbuff]

It would be nice if a lot of the San Bernardino Line was double tracked at the very least. It would help bring down the travel times a little for the trains. I remember when many of the trains used to travel between LA Union Station and San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot in 90 minutes. Now many of them take 105 minutes. It is 60 miles from LA to San Bernardino and the Metrolink San Bernardino Line is dead straight in many spots.

[D.S. Lewith]

It would be nice if a lot of the San Bernardino Line was double tracked at the very least. It would help bring down the travel times a little for the trains. I remember when many of the trains used to travel between LA Union Station and San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot in 90 minutes. Now many of them take 105 minutes. It is 60 miles from LA to San Bernardino and the Metrolink San Bernardino Line is dead straight in many spots.

To double-track the line in its entirety (it should be), the El Monte Busway is going to have to be rebuilt into a rail line (the new space can also be used to extend the Red/Purple Line to El Monte), leading to the Silver Line being truncated to Union Station. Also between Balwin Avenue and Ramona+Dowing, a new elevated rail line above Ramona Avenue would have to be build to avoid the UPRR's Alhambra Subdivision (the San Bernardino line briefly goes on the tracks), and they're not going to allow overhead wires on the tracks or even the ROW they own.
This would give LACMTA Red/Purple line and the Metrolink San Bernardino line a stop at El Monte Transit Center.