MetroRail Gold Line including Extensions

[pennsy]

Hi All,

Well it looks like the Gold Line's extension towards San Bernardino County from the Pasadena Terminus is again on hold, indefinitely.

Instead they have elected to continue south, from LATC, (LAUS), towards Little Tokyo. However, several problems have presented themselves. First is the 101 Freeway, immediately south of LATC, tracks one and two, the Gold Line. This is being dealt with by going OVER the Freeway by elevating the ROW immediately at the end of the LATC station. Now LATC will not be a terminus for the Gold Line. So, we go elevated from LATC south. So far, so good. However, further south, there is a very old cemetery, in excess of 100 years old. As they excavated for ROW, alongside the cemetery, they exposed really old gravesites. The locals went wild and are still yelling. Supposedly, amends are being made, and hopefully construction will continue. In the meantime, plans for the Pasadena terminus extension towards Montclair, CA are SNAFU'ed.

[farmerjohn]

So they wanna extend that sucker from LA,Pasadena, and along the San Bernardino line of the metrolink? (so ive heard). If they go through with this, whont it defeat the purpose of the metrolink trains running through?.

[neroden]

Not really. If done properly, they'd complement each other.

Gold Line = Local service
Metrolink = Express service

[Easy]

No one barely rides the gold line as it is. They shouldn't get "express" service at the expense of more worthy projects such as the green line to LAX, the downtown connector, the purple line extension, etc. People will actually ride those lines.

[farmerjohn]

How is this gonna happen? I read it in the paper but they gave no real track route or anything like that!. Ill be shocked if they can manage a light rail system from LA-Pasadena-Redlands. Why dont they save the trouble and use the old trolley routes? I see most of them have been transformed into bike routes with no cement!.

[3rdrail]

Two words John - political correctness.

[pennsy]

The other word would be money. Right now they are fighting on the route from Pasadena east. Latest they want to swing south and go by ONT airport. Great idea, and so far lots of talk, no action. So far the Gold Line dead ends in Pasadena. The other end is still under construction towards Little Tokyo. That should be finished way before they start extending from Pasadena. When that is done, LAUPT will have to be called LAUS, since the Gold Line will pass through it and not terminate there.

[farmerjohn]

I think your both right. I just don't wanna end up being grandpa by the time this thing gets finished. Now pennsey seeing as your local. You ever see where it dead ends on the 210? Isn't that an old SP line? What id do is replace that overpass they had their for a while. Run it across the 210 and use the old SP line. Or was it a pacific electric line?. Cant be that hard seeing how they got Metrolink up and running in what seemed a short amount of time.

[pennsy]

At present the Gold Line terminates at Sierra Madre Villa ave. station. (Pasadena) The other end is at LAUS, but construction there continues.

[ExCon90]

Is there anything like a firm start-up date for the East LA Gold Line extension? The website doesn't commit itself, and I thought I had read something about a start-up this fall. I'll be out there the first week of October, and I'm wondering whether there's any hope.

[necnomad]

Most likely it will be sometime in the fall. Expect test trains running until then. As always with these large projects, the exact completeion date is pretty fluid as it depends on a mulitude of factors all coming together.

More updates to follow.

[ExCon90]

Thanks for the reply -- let's hope everything goes off without a hitch. Since I'll be leaving LA on October 8, I think we may confidently predict that service will begin on Saturday, October 10. I have the gift. However, I'd appreciate any further info that may develop; I'll be checking my e-mail while I'm traveling.

[necnomad]

I'm sorry to dissappoint you, but service by october 10 is about 100% unlikley. Most likly pre-revenue trains will be running so there will be some action along the line but the actual date for revenue service has changed several times already, so I can't exactly predict when it will happen, but if you check back by early november, there may be a better chance of catching a ride by then.

[pennsy]

Been there recently and got the same run around. The summer is gone, and now they are debating the fall. They do have test trains running from LAUS towards little Tokyo from time to time, all the trackage is there, including a new double crossover, but so far no trains in sight heading that way. Are they on the same schedule as Angels Flight ? Lots of talk and no action.

[ExCon90]

Thanks for the added information, but isn't it bad luck to mention Angels Flight?