Orange County Line

The Orange County Line began on April{{nbsp}}30, 1990, as the Orange County Commuter, an Amtrak-operated service between Los Angeles and San Juan Capistrano funded by the Orange County Transportation Authority.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-05-me-376-story.html |title=COUNTYWIDE : Ridership Healthy on Commuter Train |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 5, 1990}}{{CA-Rail Passenger Development Plan-1991|page=173}} The Orange County Commuter made a single weekday round-trip, departing San Juan Capistrano in the morning and returning in the evening.{{cite web | title=National Train Timetables | author=Amtrak | author-link=Amtrak | date=October 28, 1990 | access-date=May 16, 2010 | url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19901028&item=0059}} Between July and December 1993 during the Orange County Commuter's final months, both the Commerce and Orange stations opened. Amtrak conveyed the route to Metrolink on March{{nbsp}}28, 1994, becoming the "Orange County Line" and Metrolink's fifth route.{{cite news | title=NARP March 1994 Hotlines | date=March 25, 1994 | access-date=May 16, 2010 | url=http://www.narprail.org/h9403.htm#818 | author=NARP | author-link=National Association of Railroad Passengers | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716181249/http://www.narprail.org/h9403.htm#818 | archive-date=July 16, 2011 }}[http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=401 TRAINS Magazine - Railroad News, Web Cam, Railroading Video - Metrolink] Service expanded to eight trips in 1995.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-14-me-24009-story.html |title=Metrolink Adds 2 More Trains Per Day for Orange County |last=Berkman |first=Leslie |date=July 14, 1995 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=March 27, 2010}}

In October 2005, the Orange County Transportation Authority announced that it would increase service on the Orange County Line, running trains twenty hours daily, seven days a week every 30 minutes. The first part of the additional service was implemented in June 2006 with Saturday service, and July 2006 with Sunday service. The plan has drawn criticism{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} as many Metrolink stations are located beyond walking distance from important destinations such as Disneyland and the adjacent Anaheim Convention Center, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Irvine Spectrum. Funds for new rolling stock and track improvements were allocated from the voter-approved Measure M half-cent sales tax, while critics{{who|date=September 2016}} had advocated using the money for bus operations or other transit service instead. To address some of these issues, OCTA operates a series of Stationlink shuttle routes that connect Metrolink stations in Orange County to nearby destinations.

{{As of|2019}} service is provided seven days a week, with 29 trains on weekdays, and 8 on weekends. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner supplements Orange County Line service by providing limited stop service along the corridor and more service during mid-days, nights and weekends.

The route of the Orange County Line may be used for future extensions of the planned California High-Speed Rail line from Los Angeles Union Station to Anaheim. Potential stops include Norwalk or Fullerton.

The line it uses, the Surf Line, is vulnerable to the effects of coastal erosion and sea level rise in San Clemente, California. Between 2022 and 2023, service was suspended several times due to coastal erosion. Service most recently resumed on May{{nbsp}}27, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Mapp |first=Lauren |date=May 27, 2023 |title=Amtrak, Metrolink service from San Diego to Orange County resumes after emergency closure |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-27/rail-line-from-san-diego-to-orange-county-reopens-saturday |access-date=May 27, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) also has plans for an infill station serving Pico Rivera, located between {{scax|Commerce}} and {{scax|Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs}} stations.{{cite news |last1=Scauzillo |first1=Steve |title=Plans for new Metrolink stations in Boyle Heights and Pico Rivera press on |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2023/06/27/metrolink-may-get-two-new-stations-in-la-county-boyle-heights-and-pico-rivera/ |access-date=October 28, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Daily News |publisher=MediaNews Group |date=June 27, 2023}}

While the Orange County Line shares trackage with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner trains, its northernmost stations (from Los Angeles to Fullerton, excluding Commerce) are shared with the 91/Perris Valley Line and nearly all of its other stations with the Inland Empire–Orange County Line (from Orange to Oceanside).

The Orange County Line runs on the BNSF Railway's Southern Transcon track between Los Angeles and Fullerton, under a shared-right-of-way agreement. Several stations, most notably the ones in downtown Fullerton and Santa Ana, are renovated Spanish Colonial Revival depots originally built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Sections of the line between Santa Ana and Oceanside Rail speed limits in the United States#Track classes.

Under Amtrak operation the Orange County Commuter stopped at the following stations: {{amtk|Los Angeles}}, {{amtk|Commerce}}, {{amtk|Fullerton}}, Anaheim–Stadium, {{amtk|Orange}}, {{amtk|Santa Ana}}, {{amtk|Irvine}}, and {{amtk|San Juan Capistrano}}.{{cite web |title=National Timetable |date= October 31, 1993 |url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19931031n&item=0036 |website=The Museum of Railway Timetables |publisher=Amtrak |access-date=May 29, 2020}} With the Metrolink takeover in 1994 the southern terminus moved to {{scax|Oceanside}} and five infill stations were subsequently added:{{cite news|last=Catz | first=Sarah L. | title=Plans for Flexible Transportation Alternatives Are Moving Right Along |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33557168/plans_for_flexible_transportation/|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|date=February 14, 1994|page=91|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = July 5, 2019 }} {{scax|San Clemente}} and {{scax|Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs}} in 1995,{{cite news|last=Ni|first=Ching-Ching|title=San Clemente Goes on Fast Track With Its New Metrolink Station |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33558235/san_clemente_goes_on_fast_track_with/|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 6, 1995|page=77|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = July 5, 2019 }}{{cite news|title=Metrolink Station Opens |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33556077/metrolink_station_opens/|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|date=July 18, 1995|page=23|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = July 5, 2019 }} {{scax|Tustin}} and {{scax|Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo}} in 2002,{{cite news|last=McKibben | first=Dave|title=Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink Depot Set to Debut |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33558013/laguna_niguelmission_viejo_metrolink/|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 17, 2002|page=11|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = July 5, 2019 }}{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-18-me-23417-story.html |title=New Metrolink Station to Debut Today in Tustin |last=Morin |first=Monte |date=January 18, 2002 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=July 5, 2019 |language=en-US |issn=0458-3035}} and {{scax|Buena Park}} in 2007.{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-sep-05-me-station5-story.html |title=Metrolink's Buena Park station opens for business |last=Reyes |first=David |date=September 5, 2007 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=July 5, 2019}}

The October 2017 timetable shows ten weekday trains from Los Angeles to Oceanside and back, eight from Fullerton to Laguna Niguel and back, seven from Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel and back, four from Fullerton to Oceanside, and two from Los Angeles to Irvine and back.

Passengers that have monthly passes can use Pacific Surfliner trains between their station pairs on any day except for specific blacked out days by Amtrak for holidays and special events (such as events at Del Mar) on this line.

• Transportation in San Diego County

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• [http://www.metrolinktrains.com/schedules/line/name/Orange%20County/service_id/1152.html Orange County Line schedule]

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{{Former Amtrak routes}}

Orange County Line

Category:Public transportation in Orange County, California

Category:Public transportation in Los Angeles County, California

Category:Public transportation in San Diego County, California

Category:Public transportation in Southern California

Category:Orange County Transportation Authority

Category:Railway lines opened in 1990

Category:1990 establishments in California