Metrolink, Southern California's regional commuter rail service, is planning major service cuts that could sharply reduce train availability for passengers across the region, raising concerns about access to one of the area's most important alternatives to driving.

Here's what to know

As LAist reported, the agency wants to cut 29% of weekday service and 40% of weekend service, right after fare increases have already taken effect.

The Metrolink Board of Directors moved forward a $420 million budget proposal that includes the service reductions. Next, transportation agencies in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties will review it before the board votes on the measure on Oct. 23.

The agency said the financial picture has worsened on several fronts: ticket revenue is projected to fall 18%, and both the Orange County Transportation Authority and L.A. Metro have proposed cutting their subsidies by millions of dollars. Metrolink officials told LAist that low ridership and rising operating costs are driving the proposal.

To balance the budget, Metrolink chief financial officer Tom Schamber said the agency had to propose the cuts.

"These cuts were targeted at low-performing trains and trains that overlap with the Pacific Surfliner service," Schamber said. "The schedule will look more like a commuter rail service focused on weekdays during peak periods."

Orange County would absorb some of the deepest cuts under the plan. Weekend trains would be reduced by half, weekday service would drop nearly 40%, and weekday service to Oceanside would be cut.

More background

Steep reductions are also planned elsewhere. The San Bernardino and Antelope Valley lines face major weekday and weekend cuts, while weekday service on the Ventura County line would drop by 36%, according to LAist.

Cooper Crane, a UC Riverside graduate student and historian of Southern California public transit, told the publication the plan risks a transit "death spiral," where higher fares and less service drive away riders and further strain the agency's budget.

"It is going to bring Metrolink into a death spiral, which could be compared to the historic collapse of services such as the Pacific Electric here in Southern California," he said. "We don't want to experience something like the collapse of the Pacific Electric again, but the budget cuts that have been made by Orange County and the lack of government commitment to the support for the service is pretty much exactly what that will lead to."

For Irvine resident Mason Buck, who mainly uses Metrolink recreationally, the issue is simple: "I just want an alternative to driving."

What can be done?

County transportation agencies must review and adopt the budget before the Metrolink board takes its final vote on Oct. 23.

Public input is also still ahead. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. in the Metro Board Room at 1 Gateway Plaza in Los Angeles, with an online option for attendees; comments must be made in person or submitted in advance by email to BoardSecretary@scrra.net.

Advocates are also urging local leaders not to treat the cuts as unavoidable. Adriana Rizzo, a founding member of Californians for Electric Rail, said reducing service would not stabilize the system but instead "exacerbate ridership loss."

In comments to the board, riders said the proposed reductions threaten more than convenience. 

"Metrolink is essential for the economy," Rizzo said. "It's essential to keep our region moving, and we cannot just let it die."

Where can I learn more?

Questions about Metrolink's future are just one part of a wider debate over rail access and investment.

• In Los Angeles, rail lines still lack essential connections for riders.

• California's high-speed rail could cut pollution while transforming long-distance travel statewide.

• Across the country, high-speed rail projects in development could reshape regional transportation.

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