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Post by spokker on Oct 16, 2009 0:27:44 GMT -8
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Post by spokker on Oct 20, 2009 11:57:02 GMT -8
Metrolink is running some special trains for Tuesday's and Thursday's Angel games. That's great and all but I thought they had a budget crisis?
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Post by nickv on Dec 3, 2009 13:59:43 GMT -8
SERVICE REDUCTION ACTION ALERT:
Proposed Wholesale Metrolink Service Cuts
Wholesale Metrolink service cuts have been considered which includes killing most of the Metrolink Weekends Service.
Here are the full list of cuts that will be considered:
ANTELOPE VALLEY LINE
Saturday
Cancel Trains 266, 267, 270, and 271
Sunday
Cancel Trains 260 and 265
VENTURA COUNTY LINE
Weekdays
Cancel Trains 103, 105, 107, 108, 109, 112, 114, 116, 900, and 901
SAN BERNARDINO LINE
Saturday
Cancel Trains 373, 372, 379 and 378
Operate Trains 369, 368, 377 and 376 one hour later than currently
Sunday
Cancel Trains 356 and 361
Weekdays
Cancel Trains 306 and 323
ORANGE COUNTY LINE
Cancel all weekend service.
INLAND EMPIRE-ORANGE COUNTY LINE
Cancel all weekend service with summer-only beach train runs.
Weekdays
Cancel Trains 852 and 853
Public Hearing Notice:
View here - Hearing date 12/11/2009
Remarks:
Quoting parts from a 4/2009 speech from FTA Transit Official Leslie Rogers, common sense budgeting and a sound Metrolink Business Plan must be done to sustain current transit operations as we transition from the recession to a recovery. Simply raising fares while cutting service is no longer acceptable. Other solutions must be found. Emerging opportunities such as public-private partnerships and sponsorships (ideal for weekend train runs), coordinated scheduling and fare policy for LOSSAN Corridor trains, branded train advertising and innovative transit-oriented development projects around Metrolink stations that bring housing and the train closer together combined with a restructured Business Plan can help offset Metrolink budget cuts.
TTC is putting a letter together. Much of the proposed cuts in Orange County and Riverside County run counter to numerous planned expansion projects conducted by OCTA and RCTC.
Return all comments or suggestions to Bart Reed, please.
If you drill down into the numbers on
the trips being cut, you will see the harm to the network and the overall service. For example,
this morning, the San Bernardino train pulled into Union Station and a number of riders switched
to the Moorpark and the Antelope Valley trains. Cutting the service on the Ventura Line 8:50 a.m.
outbound at Union Station leaves transferring riders with an incomplete trip corridor and the service
becomes worthless on both legs without the complete corridor.
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Post by Transit Coalition on Dec 3, 2009 17:01:26 GMT -8
Please look at the simple instructions on the Meeting reduction notice and send an email to Metrolink. Even a comment that a 6% hike is better than service cuts can make a difference.
If these cuts get through, it will be years before Metrolink will be used by riders whose trip corridors were destroyed so they can't complete a trip journey.
Bart! |
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Post by rubbertoe on Dec 11, 2009 8:16:14 GMT -8
All,
Last chance this morning to get your comments into Metrolink before the 10:00am meeting. Like Bart suggested, this would be worth 10 minutes of your time to write them in support of a fare increase versus a service cut.
RT
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Post by spokker on Dec 11, 2009 13:07:23 GMT -8
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Post by spokker on Dec 11, 2009 14:41:15 GMT -8
Leadership changes at Metrolink www.metrolinktrains.com/news/?id=4481I don't get it. Why create a new position for Solow if they hate him so much? They are not only going to be paying him but also the replacement CEO. I thought they were having budget problems. If the guy is terrible, then fire him outright! |
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Post by whitmanlam on Dec 12, 2009 18:43:02 GMT -8
I thought Solow just resigned from Metrolink. He was taking too much blame for the Chatsworth crash. Which should have never happened, but has cost Metrolink a lot since that day.
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Post by spokker on Dec 12, 2009 20:10:50 GMT -8
He stepped down as CEO, but he still works at Metrolink in a new position with a new salary. What that salary is I don't know, but I assume he's not going to be working for free.
Meanwhile, a new CEO must be found, presumably at the same salary?
I agree that he received too much blame for the Chatsworth accident. It was a completely unfortunate thing that a veteran engineer felt the urge to text young boys on his cell phone.
But if you're going to fire a guy, fire him. Don't promote him to a new position with a new salary when you are pondering fare hikes and service cuts.
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Post by Transit Coalition on Dec 13, 2009 0:10:57 GMT -8
He stepped down as CEO, but he still works at Metrolink in a new position with a new salary. What that salary is I don't know, but I assume he's not going to be working for free. Meanwhile, a new CEO must be found, presumably at the same salary? I agree that he received too much blame for the Chatsworth accident. It was a completely unfortunate thing that a veteran engineer felt the urge to text young boys on his cell phone. But if you're going to fire a guy, fire him. Don't promote him to a new position with a new salary when you are pondering fare hikes and service cuts. Actually, he was NOT fired. David has always been a technical guy with a huge institutional knowledge of running a railroad and of running Metrolink. In this case, the board did not want to get rid of him and David hasn't wanted to be CEO for a while. So, the back shop conversation for the past several months was about how to rearrange things. The solution was to move David over to the newly created position of Advisor. He is to stay at the same salary and his contract runs until June 30, 2010. The new CEO, Eric Haley ran Riverside County Transportation Commission for a long time. He has previously been an elected official. Eric has taken the job on an interim basis, so a search can be held for a new CEO. Eric has the "person" skills and knows how to lobby in DC, which is the major game over the next 6 months. When the new CEO is chosen, that person will decide if Metrolink will retain David and probably with a lesser salary. Now, there are other commuter rail agencies out there that are also looking for or will be looking for a CEO. If David wants to leave Southern CA, there are other opportunities out there. David isn't getting a new salary, he is just changing job titles and won't have the responsibility to handle the Board any more. Before the incident last year, some may recall that Metro and the ex Metro CEO totally ignored Metrolink and sort of sent in "second string" Board Members, who didn't have much influence with the Metro Board. After Chatsworth, Mayor Villaraigosa sent in the "A" team with Richard Katz and Jaime de la Vega. The Metrolink Board completely changed when Keith Millhouse became Chair and Katz became Vice Chair. The old guard was moved aside for a new style and order of running things. |
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Jan 8, 2010 18:17:40 GMT -8
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Post by spokker on Jan 14, 2010 13:44:45 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Jan 20, 2010 17:38:52 GMT -8
How about the color "faint?" My personal conclusion is that the red light was too dim (old, fading light bulb?), especially given the angle of the sun during the time of the crash, and the lights were mistaken for a green on and red off by the conductor, who actually called for a green light, engineer, and three other witnesses. Then the texting prevented the engineer from taking a better look at the lights. LED lights could have prevented and automatic train stop would have prevented this needless accident, costing more than two dozen lives. But there is also a chance that there was some strange irreproducible malfunction in the system, which would cause the accident regardless.Final report on deadly Metrolink crash comes down to signal colorAs the National Transportation Safety Board drafts its conclusion on the Chatsworth collision, it must resolve eyewitness reports of a green light and technical evidence showing it was red.
A signal turns red behind a Metrolink train pulling out of the Chatsworth station. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / November 19, 2008)
By Robert J. Lopez and Rich Connell
January 20, 2010As federal authorities prepare to close out a 16-month investigation of the deadly Chatsworth Metrolink disaster, a key issue remains in dispute: What color was the fateful final signal?  Final warningThe only eyewitnesses to come forward publicly have maintained that the light was green as Metrolink 111 barreled toward a head-on crash with a Union Pacific freight train. And the conductor of the train told investigators that he radioed the Metrolink engineer before leaving Chatsworth station that the signal was green and the train was clear to proceed, records show. But investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board insist all their testing and analysis of technical evidence strongly supports the opposite conclusion: The engineer, who was sending and receiving text messages while operating the train, sailed through a red light seconds before the accident that killed 25 and left 135 injured. The signal conflict is fundamental to understanding the causes of the September 2008 catastrophe and could have significant implications in the wrongful death and injury lawsuits making their way through the courts. Resolving the conflicting scenarios is likely to come up as the safety board meets Thursday to consider its final conclusions on the crash. "I think that's a great question," NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said in an interview last week when asked how the board would reconcile the differences. Hersman declined to discuss details of the signal investigation in advance of the meeting in Washington. But a former NTSB member close to the investigation said the totality of evidence supports a finding that the signal was red. Witness statements carry more weight "if it's really a jump ball," said Kitty Higgins, who led the agency's investigative team at the scene and later headed an evidentiary hearing on the wreck. "In this case, I believe it's really not." Signal history data, the position of the junction switch near the point of impact, extensive testing and cellphone text records all point to a conclusion that the Metrolink engineer who died in the crash, Robert M. Sanchez, was distracted and ran through a red signal, Higgins said. "I don't think [the witness accounts] rose to a level of undermining or casting doubt on all of the other information collected," said Higgins, who left the NTSB last year. In addition to the Metrolink conductor, a Chatsworth station security guard and two railroading enthusiasts who were regulars at the station told investigators they saw a green light that day. The conductor said he stepped out on the platform, looked at the light and radioed the engineer "highball on a green" -- meaning that the track was clear ahead. The engineer apparently did not respond, but records show he sped away from the station as if he expected a green light. Connex Railroad, a private contractor that employed and supervised both the engineer and the conductor, has suggested that the witness statements cast doubt on the status of the light. "They didn't seem to pay much attention to the four eyewitnesses," said Jim Hall, a former NTSB chairman and consultant to Connex. The color of the light has implications in terms of liability to injured victims and survivors of those killed in the crash, said R. Edward Pfiester, one of the lead plaintiffs' attorneys in legal proceedings over what are estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars in claims. If the engineer is held to be primarily at fault, Connex, a subsidiary of a French international conglomerate, would have greater exposure, he said. If the signal malfunctioned and displayed a green, another large firm that contracts to maintain Metrolink's signal equipment could be liable, he said. But after a series of tests of the signals by plaintiffs' experts, Pfiester said, "I very, very strongly believe the signal was not green. It was red." Federal investigators presented evidence about the crash at a public hearing in March. At Thursday’s meeting the board will determine a probable cause and contributing factors, as well as safety recommendations for Metrolink and other rail agencies. Board members have already been briefed on the proposed findings. But those can be debated and amended during Thursday's meeting before the final written report is completed, Higgins noted. The Chatsworth catastrophe already has prompted landmark federal legislation requiring railroads to enact sweeping safety measures and install a high-tech collision avoidance system on all U.S. trains. Hersman said this week's session would be a "watershed" opportunity for the NTSB to underscore the need to follow through despite concerns about the proposed braking system's high costs. "One of the tragedies of this discussion is that we had to lose 25 additional lives on the Metrolink" to get the law enacted, Hersman said. robert.lopez@latimes.com rich.connell@latimes.com
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Post by spokker on Jan 20, 2010 20:33:58 GMT -8
I don't doubt that the light might have been dim. But the importance of the fact that the guy was texting cannot be diminished.
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Post by Gokhan on Jan 21, 2010 11:41:32 GMT -8
Any of these would have prevented this tragedy: LED lights instead of fading light bulbs, automatic train stop, or engineer not texting.
But I agree that the responsibility ultimately lies with the engineer to prevent accidents in the case of equipment failure, unexpected emergencies, or in any situation whatsoever. He is the king of the ship. But he probably didn't even notice the freight train approaching until the last second. Even after he ran the red light, if he was paying a little more attention, he would have braked sooner and would likely have saved everyone else's lives riding behind the engine. It's unbelievable that a passenger-train engineer could have been so irresponsible. They are supposed to be watching the tracks constantly.
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Post by Justin Walker on Feb 25, 2010 2:11:51 GMT -8
As of this month, Metrolink has a brand new system map. I personally love the new map. It is both attractive and information-dense (a rare combination for maps like this). It neatly presents Metrolink in the context of everything else in SoCal. Included are the Metro Rail lines (including the Orange Line and the Expo Line!), Pacific Surfliner, Sprinter, freeways, and counties. |
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Post by spokker on Feb 25, 2010 12:12:42 GMT -8
Now if only they had the service to go with that map.
It's kind of useless to illustrate transfer points since many transfers are not timed or even possible unless you are willing to wait an hour or two.
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Post by tonyw79sfv on Feb 27, 2010 16:30:45 GMT -8
As of this month, Metrolink has a brand new system map. I personally love the new map. It is both attractive and information-dense (a rare combination for maps like this). It neatly presents Metrolink in the context of everything else in SoCal. Included are the Metro Rail lines (including the Orange Line and the Expo Line!), Pacific Surfliner, Sprinter, freeways, and counties. Looks like Metrolink has taken a cue from Metro in changing from a geographically-correct map to a schematic-type. Interesting that they jumped the gun a bit by including the Expo Line, but the map will be correct by mid-2011. Also props for including the Orange Line, despite not being rail, it's rail-quality in a sense; countless times, I've seen rapid transit maps of LA and the Orange Line is never included. This is an improvement from their map two revisions ago that depicted the Sierra Madre-bound Gold Line going right into the San Gabriel Mountains! (The line was shown going north of I-210.) |
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Post by nickv on Mar 1, 2010 11:32:03 GMT -8
This style map has an interesting history. Back in the 1930's, Henry Beck's new "diagrammatic" design style was found to be extremely functional in London's subway system. Henry Charles Beck History |
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Post by bluelineshawn on Mar 1, 2010 16:50:30 GMT -8
I like the new map a lot. And Beck is much more commonly known as Harry than Henry.
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snuffy
Junior Member
Posts: 62 
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Post by snuffy on Mar 1, 2010 22:37:07 GMT -8
I did not like the new map. It's kinda confusing and reminds me the new MTA(since 2008) map which also I did not like. Metrolink also released the new southern california system map which based on AAA map. You can pick it up at Union Station. Here's some other Metrolink related news - Metrolink to add first 2 rail cars of a safer fleet |
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Post by James Fujita on Mar 2, 2010 23:03:31 GMT -8
I can't wait to get an upclose look at the Rotem cars. I've seen one of their older locomotives in the spiffy new paint scheme, and I have to say it has a nice flow to it. I've only seen a couple of pictures of the Rotems, and they look nice, even if under wraps. I think it's interesting that the new cab cars will have an actual nose to them instead of just a controller's booth. Can't help but notice the relatively flat roofs on these new cars, too. Makes for an interesting change of pace. No more octogons.... |
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Post by Transit Coalition on Mar 3, 2010 8:20:05 GMT -8
I can't wait to get an upclose look at the Rotem cars. I've seen one of their older locomotives in the spiffy new paint scheme, and I have to say it has a nice flow to it. I've only seen a couple of pictures of the Rotems, and they look nice, even if under wraps. I think it's interesting that the new cab cars will have an actual nose to them instead of just a controller's booth. Can't help but notice the relatively flat roofs on these new cars, too. Makes for an interesting change of pace. No more octogons....  Rotem Carriages on Way to LA |
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Post by nickv on Mar 5, 2010 19:44:32 GMT -8
SERVICE REDUCTION ACTION ALERT:
Proposed Metrolink Service Cuts Please look at the simple instructions on the Meeting Reduction Notice and send an e-mail to Metrolink. If these cuts get through, it will be years before Metrolink will be used by riders whose trip corridors were destroyed so they can't complete a trip journey. Here are the full list of cuts that will be considered:POTENTIAL SERVICE CHANGES/MAJOR SERVICE REDUCTIONS
ANTELOPE VALLEY LINEWeekdays •Cancel trains 205, 207, 209, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 221, 222 and 223 Saturdays •Cancel trains 266, 267, 270, and 271 Sundays •Cancel trains 260 and 265 SAN BERNARDINO LINESaturdays •Cancel trains 372, 373, 378 and 379 Sundays •Cancel trains 356 and 361 Weekdays •Cancel Trains 306 and 323 INLAND EMPIRE-ORANGE COUNTY LINEWeekdays •Cancel trains 802, 813, 850 and 851 •Cancel service south of Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station for train 808. Train 806 would be rescheduled to serve train 808 customers between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and the Oceanside Station Multi Modal Transit Center VENTURA COUNTY LINEWeekdays •Cancel trains 103, 105, 107, 108, 112, 114, 900 and 901 •Cancel service west of Moorpark station for trains 102, 104, 106, 113, 115 and 119 POTENTIAL FARE INCREASE AND CHANGES IN FARE POLICY/DISCOUNTSA. A proposed average increase in Metrolink fares of between 3% and 6% (due to ongoing fare restructuring, fares for a small number of station pairs will have increases as high as 10%) . In addition, if the current 80-mile cap on trips is eliminated, some trips longer than 80 miles in length will have increases of up to 13.1% B. Possible future restructuring of fare media attributes and discounts related to: 1. Modify 10-trip ticket pricing and validity period 2. Modify Round trip ticket discounts 3. Modify Senior/Disabled discounts on 10-trip tickets and monthly passes 4. Modify student discounts on 10-trip and monthly pass and restructuring 5. Modify Active-duty military one-way and roundtrip tickets 6. Modify Weekend fare discounts 7. Modify Intra-county fare discounts 8. Modify or cancel Rail 2 Rail Agreement with Amtrak 9. Modify Off-peak fares 10. Eliminate the 80-mile cap on long distance fares for 1-way, round trip and 10-trip tickets The public hearing is on the agenda of a Special Meeting of the SCRRA Board of Directors on:April 2, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 818 W. Seventh Street, 12th Floor Board Room Los Angeles, CA 90017
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Post by Justin Walker on Nov 29, 2010 12:43:21 GMT -8
In case you missed it, here's a video Metrolink put out earlier this month regarding their implementation of Positive Train Control. Note that they don't miss a chance to showcase the new Rotem cars.
FYI, this video (which is very well done, IMO) was produced by NC3D, the same firm that produced all of the CA high-speed rail visualizations.
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Post by Gokhan on Nov 29, 2010 15:41:09 GMT -8
This is a very nice video indeed. They should have PTC on all modern rail lines.
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Post by rubbertoe on Nov 30, 2010 10:05:50 GMT -8
This is a very nice video indeed. They should have PTC on all modern rail lines. You got that right. I just watched the video. Implementing a nationwide PTC system is long overdue. Given the current state of: 1) GPS, 2) digital networks, 3) cheap computers, it should make it much more affordable to implement. You probably don't need nearly the current amount of "track installed" hardware, which would lower the cost dramatically. An onboard GPS receiver can tell you exactly where the train is, and which track it is on. The one thing that I found interesting about the video is that there was no mention of the ability of the PTC system to increase throughput. Once you have a system that is partly/entirely centrally computer controlled, you can use that to increase train frequency while not compromising safety. All the automated systems (i.e. Vancouver Skytrain) can do something like 60-90 second headways because of this (PTC or even more robust train control systems) which you would never try with operators running trains. I also never understood the concept of building more crash proof trains. We don't build airplanes to better survive mid air collisions with each other. You simply provide the technology to make sure this doesn't happen. Same thing should be the case with trains. The high speed trains in other countries aren't built to survive impacts with other trains when running at 180+mph. Metrolink trains running on a network with proper PTC installed shouldn't be designed to be more crash worthy either. IMHO. Light, fast and smart beats heavy, slow and dumb every day of the week. IMHO. RT |
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Post by Justin Walker on Nov 30, 2010 10:44:38 GMT -8
Speaking of the new Rotem cars, if you had been hoping to go in one soon, you're in luck. Next week, Metrolink will be touring the Rotem cars around the Southland for the public to check out. Display locations include Union Station, San Bernardino, Moorpark, Glendale, Riverside, Irvine, and Santa Ana. |
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Post by bobdavis on Dec 6, 2010 22:31:57 GMT -8
The Rotem cars were on display at Union Station this afternoon, but the cab car (what we traction types call a "control trailer") was not open to visitors.
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snuffy
Junior Member
Posts: 62
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Post by snuffy on Dec 9, 2010 22:45:55 GMT -8
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