| Orange County Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Metrolink locomotive 860 atIrvine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | BNSF (Los Angeles–Fullerton) SCRRA (Fullerton–OC/SD County Line) NCTD (OC/SD County Line–Oceanside) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Los Angeles,Orange, andSan Diego Counties | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Commuter rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | Metrolink | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Metrolink | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 5,130 (weekdays, Q3 2025)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 87.2 miles (140.3 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Elevated and surface-level | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 90 mph (140 km/h) (top)[2] 41 mph (66 km/h) (average)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheOrange County Line is acommuter rail line run byMetrolink fromLos Angeles throughOrange County toOceanside inSan Diego County, connecting with theCoaster commuter rail service toSan Diego. The Orange County Line carries passengers to the primary Metrolink hub atL.A. Union Station indowntown Los Angeles, as well as to many attractions in Orange County including theKnott's Berry Farm area,Angel Stadium of Anaheim and theHonda Center, theDisneyland Resort, Old TownOrange,Santa Ana Zoo,Mission San Juan Capistrano and many more. In San Diego County, it serves theOceanside Pier andCamp Pendelton.[4]
The Orange County Line began on April 30, 1990, as theOrange County Commuter, anAmtrak-operated service betweenLos Angeles andSan Juan Capistrano funded by theOrange County Transportation Authority.[5][6] TheOrange County Commuter made a single weekday round-trip, departingSan Juan Capistrano in the morning and returning in the evening.[7] Between July and December 1993 during theOrange County Commuter's final months, both theCommerce andOrange stations opened.Amtrak conveyed the route toMetrolink on March 28, 1994, becoming the "Orange County Line" and Metrolink's fifth route.[8][9] Service expanded to eight trips in 1995.[10]
In October 2005, theOrange 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] as many Metrolink stations are located beyond walking distance from important destinations such asDisneyland and the adjacentAnaheim Convention Center,Knott's Berry Farm, and theIrvine Spectrum. Funds for new rolling stock and track improvements were allocated from the voter-approved Measure M half-cent sales tax, while critics[who?] had advocated using the money for bus operations or other transit service instead. To address some of these issues, OCTA operates a series ofStationlink shuttle routes that connect Metrolink stations in Orange County to nearby destinations.
As of 2019[update] service is provided seven days a week, with 29 trains on weekdays, and 8 on weekends. TheAmtrakPacific 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 plannedCalifornia High-Speed Rail line fromLos Angeles Union Station toAnaheim. Potential stops includeNorwalk orFullerton.
The line it uses, theSurf Line, is vulnerable to the effects ofcoastal erosion andsea level rise inSan Clemente, California. Between 2022 and 2023, service was suspended several times due to coastal erosion. Service most recently resumed on May 27, 2023.[11]
TheLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) also has plans for an infill station servingPico Rivera, located betweenCommerce andNorwalk/Santa Fe Springs stations.[12]
While the Orange County Line shares trackage with Amtrak'sPacific Surfliner trains, its northernmost stations (from Los Angeles to Fullerton, excluding Commerce) are shared with the91/Perris Valley Line and nearly all of its other stations with theInland Empire–Orange County Line (from Orange to Oceanside).
The Orange County Line runs on theBNSF Railway'sSouthern Transcon track betweenLos Angeles andFullerton, under a shared-right-of-way agreement. Several stations, most notably the ones in downtownFullerton andSanta Ana, are renovatedSpanish Colonial Revival depots originally built by theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Sections of the line between Santa Ana and Oceansideallow for 90-mile-per-hour (140 km/h) operating speeds.[2]
Under Amtrak operation theOrange County Commuter stopped at the following stations:Los Angeles,Commerce,Fullerton,Anaheim–Stadium,Orange,Santa Ana,Irvine, andSan Juan Capistrano.[13] With the Metrolink takeover in 1994 the southern terminus moved toOceanside and fiveinfill stations were subsequently added:[14]San Clemente andNorwalk/Santa Fe Springs in 1995,[15][16]Tustin andLaguna Niguel/Mission Viejo in 2002,[17][18] andBuena Park in 2007.[19]
| Station | Connections | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| L.A. Union Station |  Metrolink:91/Perris ValleyAntelope ValleyRiversideSan BernardinoVentura County Amtrak:Coast Starlight,Pacific Surfliner,Southwest Chief,Sunset Limited,Texas Eagle Metro: A Line B Line D Line J Line FlyAway toLAX | Los Angeles | Los Angeles County |
| Commerce | Commerce | ||
| Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs | Metrolink:91/Perris Valley | Norwalk | |
| Buena Park | Metrolink:91/Perris Valley | Buena Park | Orange County |
| Fullerton | Metrolink:91/Perris ValleyAmtrak:Pacific Surfliner,Southwest Chief | Fullerton | |
| Anaheim (Artic) | Amtrak:Pacific Surfliner | Anaheim | |
| Orange | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange County | Orange | |
| Santa Ana | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange CountyAmtrak:Pacific Surfliner | Santa Ana | |
| Tustin | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange County | Tustin | |
| Irvine | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange CountyAmtrak:Pacific Surfliner | Irvine | |
| Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange County | Laguna Niguel | |
| San Juan Capistrano | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange CountyAmtrak:Pacific Surfliner | San Juan Capistrano | |
| San Clemente | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange County | San Clemente | |
| San Clemente Pier(weekends) | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange CountyAmtrak:Pacific Surfliner | ||
| Oceanside | Metrolink:Inland Empire–Orange CountyAmtrak:Pacific Surfliner Coaster Sprinter | Oceanside | San Diego County |
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 usePacific 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.
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