Metrolink Should Stop at the Airports

Commentary by Noel T. Braymer, April 1993.

Metrolink seems to be going out of its way to avoid serving local airports. Metrolink trains roll by Burbank and soon Ontario airports with no plans to stop at either. In the case of Burbank Airport, a station will be available that will be used by Amtrak. The new air terminal will be on the other side of the airport, but adjacent to the Santa Clarita METROLINK line. There are no plans to stop METROLINK there, but to build a Blue Line extension with no joint terminal, with transfers to the Blue Line at the Burbank METROLINK station. The rail line that goes past LAX is now publicly owned, yet there are no plans to use this right of way to connect to Metrolink.

Metrolink-owned ex-ATSF Harbor Line rails are shown between Century and Imperial Boulevards at LAX in this 1992 photo by the author. You can't get much closer to LAX.

Compare this to the very successful rail service to other airports. Tri-Rail in Florida gets excellent ridership at their airport stations. Amtrak has stopped for years at BWI airport in Maryland. In Europe several major airports have rail service. Lufthansa Airlines has some connecting flights in Germany which are trains. In Switzerland you can check your bags at train stations to go directly to your flight. Near London the main terminal at Gatwick Airport was built with a train station. British Rail has built a new track connection to Stanstead Airport in the London area. Heathrow Airport near London has successful rail service by the London Underground. There are plans to extend British Rail service into Heathrow.

Metrolink soon will be going past Ontario Airport on the Union Pacific from Riverside. There is an Ontario station, but it is three miles from the airport. The Union Pacific runs on the back side of the airport away from the terminals. But, there is an airport-owned satellite parking lot next to the UP track at the airport which could provide both parking and shuttle bus service to the terminals. The UP/Riverside Metrolink line only has about one station every ten miles, so there is room for more stations. Besides the airport there are many industrial parks grouped around the airport that Metrolink could serve.

LAX generates a lot of traffic. LAX has 45 million passengers a year, over 120,000 passengers a day. That's more than double the number of people expected to ride Metrolink when the system is fully operational. LAX expects this number of passengers to grow to 65 million annually in the next few years. LAX is also a major commercial and employment center in and around the airport. Many people commute to work or travel on business near LAX. The area has a net surplus of jobs to housing, which means many commute long distance. The population within a 5 mile radius of LAX is 350,000. But, Metrolink won't be serving them.

LAX will have rail service. The Green Line which opens in a couple of years will run west from Norwalk to the south edge of LAX a couple of miles from the terminals. A Metrolink rider will be able to use the Green Line if they transfer to the Red Line at Union Station, then take the Blue Line to the Green Line before riding a shuttle bus to the airport terminal. There are plans to extend the Green Line closer to the terminals and the areas around the airport. That doesn't help you if you want to ride Metrolink.

There has been a great deal of press about military base closings here in California. One of the bases proposed for closing is the El Toro Marine Air Station, which is right next to the Irvine Transportation Center. The closing of El Toro may create pressure to move commercial air traffic from nearby John Wayne Airport to El Toro. The runways at El Toro are much longer and would support more and bigger planes than is possible at Wayne. The location of this facility next to a major rail corridor needs to be watched.


RailPAC Contacts Publications Issues Archives Airports Can't Get There... Metrolink should stop... Meeting Reports Membership Links	Metrolink Should Stop at the Airports Commentary by Noel T. Braymer, April 1993. Metrolink seems to be going out of its way to avoid serving local airports. Metrolink trains roll by Burbank and soon Ontario airports with no plans to stop at either. In the case of Burbank Airport, a station will be available that will be used by Amtrak. The new air terminal will be on the other side of the airport, but adjacent to the Santa Clarita METROLINK line. There are no plans to stop METROLINK there, but to build a Blue Line extension with no joint terminal, with transfers to the Blue Line at the Burbank METROLINK station. The rail line that goes past LAX is now publicly owned, yet there are no plans to use this right of way to connect to Metrolink. Metrolink-owned ex-ATSF Harbor Line rails are shown between Century and Imperial Boulevards at LAX in this 1992 photo by the author. You can't get much closer to LAX. Compare this to the very successful rail service to other airports. Tri-Rail in Florida gets excellent ridership at their airport stations. Amtrak has stopped for years at BWI airport in Maryland. In Europe several major airports have rail service. Lufthansa Airlines has some connecting flights in Germany which are trains. In Switzerland you can check your bags at train stations to go directly to your flight. Near London the main terminal at Gatwick Airport was built with a train station. British Rail has built a new track connection to Stanstead Airport in the London area. Heathrow Airport near London has successful rail service by the London Underground. There are plans to extend British Rail service into Heathrow. Metrolink soon will be going past Ontario Airport on the Union Pacific from Riverside. There is an Ontario station, but it is three miles from the airport. The Union Pacific runs on the back side of the airport away from the terminals. But, there is an airport-owned satellite parking lot next to the UP track at the airport which could provide both parking and shuttle bus service to the terminals. The UP/Riverside Metrolink line only has about one station every ten miles, so there is room for more stations. Besides the airport there are many industrial parks grouped around the airport that Metrolink could serve. LAX generates a lot of traffic. LAX has 45 million passengers a year, over 120,000 passengers a day. That's more than double the number of people expected to ride Metrolink when the system is fully operational. LAX expects this number of passengers to grow to 65 million annually in the next few years. LAX is also a major commercial and employment center in and around the airport. Many people commute to work or travel on business near LAX. The area has a net surplus of jobs to housing, which means many commute long distance. The population within a 5 mile radius of LAX is 350,000. But, Metrolink won't be serving them. LAX will have rail service. The Green Line which opens in a couple of years will run west from Norwalk to the south edge of LAX a couple of miles from the terminals. A Metrolink rider will be able to use the Green Line if they transfer to the Red Line at Union Station, then take the Blue Line to the Green Line before riding a shuttle bus to the airport terminal. There are plans to extend the Green Line closer to the terminals and the areas around the airport. That doesn't help you if you want to ride Metrolink. There has been a great deal of press about military base closings here in California. One of the bases proposed for closing is the El Toro Marine Air Station, which is right next to the Irvine Transportation Center. The closing of El Toro may create pressure to move commercial air traffic from nearby John Wayne Airport to El Toro. The runways at El Toro are much longer and would support more and bigger planes than is possible at Wayne. The location of this facility next to a major rail corridor needs to be watched.
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