Holiday Late Night Service On The Red

[metrocenter]

Metro has introduced special late-night service on the Red Line for the holidays!

The late train program is being funded by a group of Downtown businesses and organizations, including Bringing Back Broadway.

The Red will run until 3AM on Fridays and Saturdays, from now until 27 December 2008.

See the news item on Metro.net.

[spokker]

Does anybody have any first hand account of the first night's operation?

I will be checking it out myself sometime during the program but since I live in Orange County it will be difficult to plan. Will probably do some combination of Amtrak and Amtrak bus.

[whitmanlam]

Late night service just started tonight. It's Fridays and Saturdays. Redline will run maybe every 20 mins and Dash bus will run about every 10-15 mins.

[metrocenter]

I took the Red Line three times Friday night, but not too late. There seemed to be a lot more people than usual on the system.

[spokker]

I wonder if late night subway service could support a late night Metrolink train. What do you think? A train with a 3AM departure heading south with earlier departures at 11:30 and 1:30?

I understand that track upgrades would have to be completed by BNSF before they would let Metrolink run trains late at night, if Metrolink wanted to that is.

I just wonder if the ridership would justify a few late night trains. I also wonder if a low-patronized late night train would increase ridership on earlier trains, simply because more people would take the train considering they won't be totally stranded if they miss the last departure.

For example, let's say there are departures at 11PM, 12:30AM, and 2AM. I think the 8:45 departure and even the 10:10 Surfliner would see more riders because passengers will have that peace of mind that there will be another train to take them home if they miss a departure.

I don't know. Just a thought.

[spokker]

Not that one's personal transportation needs mean much, but I work on the weekend in Los Angeles and it's usually very early or very late. If my shift starts before 9AM then I'm driving. If I have to work past 9PM, I'm driving. Even then, it's cutting it close to leave work at 9PM to try to make it home on the train. I risk getting stranded.

So I wonder if there's more people like me, whether they are working or are tourists, who want more late night service between LA and Orange County.

[whitmanlam]

Metrolink should definitely get some late night service. Especially for special events like USC football games, Dodger games, Rose Parade, LA Live concerts and festivals.

As for late night commuters, the demand might not be as high (Right now anyway). Most late night workers (chefs, security guards, janitors, parking valets) probably live within bus or Metro Rail commute.
And those who live further away might choose a car, because freeway traffic moves quickly at late hours.

But still, I believe it is a necessity to add late night Metrolink service up until the last Red Line train arrives into Union Station.

For some reason they need high ridership to justify service. Metrolink seems to favor more farebox recovery for it's operations .... they raised the ticket price by 5% during the gas crunch in July. And they have yet to lower ticket prices.

I think that with the current lower cost of diesel, they should pass on the savings to the riders, either lower fares .... or add more late night service.

[spokker]

What they did so far is add two trains each way to the SB Line so that there is hourly service all day. I mean, that's good and all, but what are we paying for with these higher fares if not for the high cost of fuel? More baggage checks? This is ridiculous.

What was the point of buying all those locomotives? Weren't they leasing cars from other agencies? Did that happen? I should probably bring these questions to the Metrolink thread.

[Jason Saunders]

"The late train program is being funded by a group of Downtown businesses and organizations"

I wonder what the numbers are?