lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
The wire along the route helps guide the vehicle, it doesn’t charge it. The inductive charging would happen at stations. So no, it doesn’t use a wire like other trolleys.
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Phroobar
Well-Known Member
How was your experience riding the train? Did it feel like a city bus or actually quite comfortable or enjoyable?
socalifornian
Well-Known Member
Twice last month but only for ‘fun,’ not for practical reasons. My grandma was going to take the train from OC and meet us at Philippe’s too but it ended too early. Same old problem. They’re comfortable enough and seem to draw a higher class of people than the subway does. You can eat on them too
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Excuse me for misspeaking, but you admit it uses the wire as a guide way.
So forget the term "trolley" lets call it what it really is, Guided Transit. The Chinese call their system Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit, they aren't so hung up on names even though there is technically no physical rail.
Ismael Flores
Well-Known Member
I ride the metrolink train to and from work. have been doing it since 1997. It is way more convenient than driving but they have lots of issues. Pricing is also ridiculous
a monthly pass from Los Angeles to Riverside runs $364.00. I am a bit lucky because of a disability discount which brings it down to $273.00.
Luckily i make very good money where i work so its something that i can afford either way but there is no way most people can afford to spend almost $400.00 a month extra at one time to buy a monthly pass.
Train ticket prices are higher than other commuting system in the country or most of the world.
Metrolink has consistently raised their prices and lowered their service compare to similar kind of commuting systems around the country. I have been on better train system and better trains in other parts of the world in places considered third world that keep their pricing affordable for the commuters.
A round trip ticket from Los Angeles to Riverside for example can cost you $26.00
Inconsistent service - trains break down constantly or there is always issues with street crossing guards and trains get delayed. It is an aging infrastructure with many tracks owned by union pacific. Since some of the tracks are shared they are limited in the scheduling depending on freight traffic.
Metrolink also has the worst customer service and the worst planning for worst case scenarios like delays or cancellations. Trains get cancelled because of engine problems or because of accidents and it takes them hours to do something about getting people home.
example last Friday person crossed the track and got hit by a commuter train at 1:30pm a few yards from the Downtown Pomona stations. The train was stalled for investigation which is normal but was allowed to pull up and release passengers.
next train scheduled to leave Los Angeles at 4:15 three hours later cancelled. Then the next train to leave Los Angeles at 5:00 cancelled then the next train to leave 5:30 cancelled. So four hours later and hundreds of passengers stranded and the company just send a twitter telling people to find alternate transportation.
It is similar to a bus but without the stoplights and frequent stops when on dedicated lines which is one of the big reasons I prefer rail to buses.
I've ridden the el in Chicago many times along with the light rail in Minneapolis (expanding as we speak) and a one way trip in New York City. The are all very similar. Chicago has the best transit system in the US in my opinion.
Mac Tonight
Well-Known Member
Last July I took the Surfliner down to San Diego for Comic Con. Reason being that it was paid for by corporate and saved us the traffic headache of trying to drive the over 3 hour trip.
Then just this January I had a couple from Prague staying with me and taking public transport/trains is so common to them that they were able to figure out our Metro system and get themselves into downtown and back again all on their own.
Mac Tonight
Well-Known Member
The Surfliner is a great experience when you get that ocean view.
Not cramped, decently comfortable seats, quiet cabins if you desire. And got us in on schedule.
choco choco
Well-Known Member
I take both the Metro and Metrolink regularly. Especially when needing to get from the Northern LA areas to anywhere in the OC or Corona/IE on weekdays. Crossing downtown LA on the 5 is basically the worst experience on earth and going east has become so bad in the last decade that I'm shocked people don't talk about it more often. Metrolink accomplishes both things much, much faster and is such a better experience it's akin to comparing Galaxy's Edge to the (now closed) Scandia park in Ontario.
And you would be surprised, Phrubruh, to know that both south and eastbound trains are fairly well-ridden. There's often a jostle for seats at Union Station.
Personally, I think the actual experience on Metrolink trains to be great. Seats are comfortable, trains are clean, windows are big, ride is smooth and quiet and I often fall asleep. That's when they run, of course; reliability and frequency, as your comments are about, well....Metrolink knows it has poor service. They know they need to electrify. They know they need better frequency to at least the proximal downtown areas (Glendale, Burbank, Orange County, San Gabriel). What they don't have is funding, what with Metro sucking up all glory (probably rightly so) in recent years. https://urbanize.la/post/ballot-measure-fund-metrolink-upgrades-could-come-2020
Union Station has a plan to expand and upgrade (they are holding a very important public meeting about it on this very day: https://urbanize.la/post/metro-may-drop-plans-above-grade-passenger-concourse-union-station) with run through tracks being the signature item. It should help immensely.
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Stevek
Well-Known Member
Chicago, every other month...but in CA, probably been well over a year.
DisneyDrum
Well-Known Member
Metro, every work day. I'd much rather sit on a train than sit in traffic. A lot of discussion of train versus bus is a bit silly-the important question for Southern California transit is whether the transit option is separated from cars. I don't care if I'm on a bus, or a train, or a self-charging street trolly thing; I just don't want to be stuck in traffic.
Texas84
Well-Known Member
Yeah, Disneyland Railroad for me. Before that I rode the DC Metro on a business trip. I'm not a big train supporter but the DC Metro is very convenient, IMO.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
December - Amtrak Capitol Corridor
I take BART most days so that probably counts as well.
On the fan side - DL Railroad, The Skunk Train up in Willits/Fort Bragg and of course the awesome Redwood Valley Railway
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
NobodyElse
Well-Known Member
My son rode the T green line today. Not the best outcome.
www.wcvb.com
10 injured after Green Line train derails, officials say
The MBTA says it is experiencing "severe" delays.
www.wcvb.com
My son rode the T green line today. Not the best outcome.
10 injured after Green Line train derails, officials say
The MBTA says it is experiencing "severe" delays.
That too bad but statistically speaking rail injuries are much less than car accidents. Most people have a false feeling of being in “control” while driving and an accident won’t happen to them. Good thing we don’t have mass transit systems based on motorcycles though.