Chatsworth and Van Nuys, Burbank and
Glendale on the Ventura County Line; Santa
Clarita, Burbank and Glendale on the Santa
Clarita Line (later renamed the Antelope
Valley Line); Pomona, Covina and El Monte
on the San Bernardino Line and L.A. Union
Station, which all lines travel to. The SCRRA
also completed $36.6 million in renovations
to L.A. Union Station so it would be ready for
Metrolink's debut.
that runs from downtown Los Angeles to Palmdale. The line would allow Metrolink to eventually extend all
the way to Lancaster. Service to this area would later be accelerated in response to the 1994 Northridge
earthquake. The deal also included other properties located in Canoga Park, Burbank and Chatsworth for
future expansion.
commuters and bystanders, including city officials, police, transit professionals, community activists and train
enthusiasts, gathered at the Ventura County Line Moorpark Station before 5 a.m. to await the first Metrolink
train that would come rolling down the tracks. Nearly every seat on the 162-seat cars was full as the 5:06
a.m. train departed the station. That day, commuters who boarded the trains along the Ventura County, Santa
Clarita and San Bernardino County lines were elated as their long-awaited public transportation prayers
had been answered. Not only were Metrolink riders able to breathe a sigh of relief because they would no
longer have to fight traffic, but they would also contribute to reducing emissions in the congested Southern
California region by using an environmentally friendly alternative, Metrolink.
Riverside and Orange counties anxiously waited for Metrolink to add service to their areas.
began operating on the new Riverside Line, and in 1994 Metrolink started operating on the Orange County
Line. In 1995, the agency opened the Inland Empire-Orange County Line, the nation's first suburb-to-suburb
commuter rail line. The 91 Line, Metrolink's seventh and final route to date, opened for service in 2002,
linking Downtown Riverside, Fullerton and Downtown Los Angeles.