Metrolink electrification vs. Gold Line Foothill?

[Elson]

I know the SGV people want the Gold Line to be extended to Azusa, Claremont, Ontario Airport, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and finally the Moon, but IMO a light rail line seems to lose its effectiveness if you stretch it out too long.

I personally think the Gold Line should reach as far east until it connects with Metrolink. Ontario Airport? Please. Metrolink runs just yards from there. Why not build a spur to the terminal area and have an electrified line that goes to Union Station and LAX?

Instead of investing the money into building an LRT infrastructure to the Moon, why not invest in electrifying some of the Metrolink lines? the stations are there, the track is there, all that's needed are some write, some substations and new locos.

[bobdavis]

Building the Gold Line from Montclair to Ontario Airport would be a challenge; areas that were "boonies" 50 years ago are now suburbia. One thought was to build east to Euclid Ave., then south to downtown Ontario (along the median that was once served by a locally famous mule-car line, later a Pacific Electric line) and head east either parallel to the ex-SP line or along Holt Blvd. This would probably have too many speed restrictions to be practical.

As far as electrifying Metrolink, the San Bernardino line is several miles north of the airport, so a spur or a shuttle would be necessary. The ML Riverside line runs on the south side of the airport, and is owned by Union Pacific; some kind of transport would be needed to move passengers to the terminals (which are on the north side.)

Getting back to electrification, there's been discussion of electrifying Caltrain (San Francisco to San Jose/Gilroy) for years and nothing concrete has happened yet. They're trying to figure out where the money's coming from and also whether to run MU cars (like Chicago's Metra Electrics) or electric locomotives with existing cars (like some NE Corridor trains). Caltrain runs 80-90 trains on weekdays; ML San Berdoo is probably stuck at 34 until they get more sidings/double track built. Pressure for electrification could come from the AQMD, but don't hold your breath.

As a traction fan, I would certainly like to see electrification--after all, some sections of the San Berdoo line were part of Pacific Electric's 1200 volt operation. One should also consider that overhead contact system construction will take longer because the line is busy--it would have been easier had electrification been part of the original construction package, but heck, just having any sort of suburban rail service in Southern California would have been considered a crazy dream back in the 70's.

[James Fujita]

comparing Metrolink with the Gold Line is sort of like comparing the Expo Line with the Subway to the Sea. that is to say, if you look at just the endpoints, they are remarkably similar, but of course it is the middle sections that make all the difference in the world.

that said, from a technical standpoint, electrifying Metrolink would make a lot of sense. the price of diesel fuel isn't going down, and no one doubts that even the cleanest diesel burns more and produces much more pollution than a electric engine would. (the final step, of course, would be to install as many solar panels as you could to eliminate the need for coal)

politically it would be a bit trickier, because the cost of electrification is quite high, and really you would want to add some passing tracks/ double tracks while you were at it, because you wouldn't want to waste any extra speed you might get from electric...
then once you electrify the San Bernardino line, you can just hear the complaints from those folks down in OC and well... if money were no object, Southern California could have a truly amazing electric commuter train network **drool**

as for the equipment, it seems like you really ought to start with some electric toasters or something similar so you could use the existing octagon cars and then eventually phase in EMUs.

[elray]

Jul 1, 2008 14:49:20 GMT -8 Elson said:

I know the SGV people want the Gold Line to be extended to Azusa, Claremont, Ontario Airport, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and finally the Moon, but IMO a light rail line seems to lose its effectiveness if you stretch it out too long.

I personally think the Gold Line should reach as far east until it connects with Metrolink. Ontario Airport? Please. Metrolink runs just yards from there. Why not build a spur to the terminal area and have an electrified line that goes to Union Station and LAX?

Instead of investing the money into building an LRT infrastructure to the Moon, why not invest in electrifying some of the Metrolink lines? the stations are there, the track is there, all that's needed are some write, some substations and new locos.

I recall well, the day Metrolink was first funded, that electrification was promised "real soon now". I was impressed that our local pols were making quick use of existing rail, and soon it would be faster than highway traffic.

Its been a decade, and now when you mention it, it reminds me of the old Sprint commercial - you can hear a pin drop.

3-car LRT is very short-sighted for the long-term. If it is to be the de facto choice, then it should at least have express tracks, and efforts must be made to increase top speed for commuter-rail length routes.