Coronavirus Updates

April 22, 2022 Update

Beginning Friday, April 22, Metrolink is once again asking riders to wear face coverings while on trains and station platforms systemwide. This is in response to a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) Order requiring masks to be worn while riding public transit and when in indoor stations within L.A. County effective at 12:01 a.m., Friday, April 22, 2022.   

Earlier this week, on Monday, April 18, Metrolink lifted its mask requirement following a federal court ruling in Florida that eliminated the federal mask mandate on public transportation and airplanes nationwide. 

We understand these back-to-back mandate changes have been confusing for people who use public transportation. Our top priority continues to be the health and safety of our customers and employees, and we appreciate everyone following the new public health order by wearing a mask on Metrolink regardless of county.  

As we have been doing over the past two years, we will closely monitor the situation and make changes when and as appropriate. We appreciate the support and cooperation of our riders as we help keep our community safe. 

April 18, 2022 Update

This morning, a federal court in Florida voided the national mask mandate aboard airplanes and other public transportation, and Transportation Security Administration officials rescinded its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment that requires mask use on public transportation and at transportation hubs.

As a result, effective immediately on Monday, April 18, Metrolink is no longer requiring riders to wear face coverings on Metrolink trains and station platforms.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.  

We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust as needed, always with the safety of our riders in mind. 

September 7, 2021 Update

Today, we were heartbroken to learn that a Metrolink contracted employee has died of complications of COVID-19. We cannot disclose personal details, but the employee worked for Metrolink at our Central Maintenance Facility since 2010. The employee last worked on Aug. 23.

This is the second death among the 167 Metrolink employees and contractors confirmed to have contracted the disease. Of these, 155 persons have recovered and returned to work. The Metrolink family extends our condolences and sympathies to the family of our friend and colleague.

August 20, 2021 Update

Rider safety continues to be our top priority and we remind everyone that face coverings are required on board all trains and at stations. Metrolink conductors and other staff working on our trains wear masks for the safety of our riders and their own.

Today, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced it extended the face mask requirement for individuals using all transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through January 18, 2022.

Travelers under the age of 2 years old and those with certain disabilities are exempted from the face mask requirement.

Metrolink requests riders bring their own mask when riding the train, however, if you do not have a mask or face covering the Metrolink conductor will provide one to you. We truly appreciate customer support and cooperation as we help to keep our community safe.

June 8, 2021 Update

A new vaccination site is now up and running at LA Union Station. The Union Station vaccination site launched June 8 and will operate Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Union Station East portal.

The Union Station vaccination site has all three vaccines available. Moderna and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available to everyone 18 years and older. The Pfizer vaccine is available to everyone 12 years and older (children require a parent or guardian present). The vaccines are free, and no insurance or citizenship documentation is required.

The vaccination site is located at the top of the escalator at the Union Station East portal, which faces the Patsaouras Bus Plaza. The site is operated by the Los Angeles Fire Department in partnership with Carbon Health and Community Organized Relief Effort, known as CORE. Vaccines are free and appointments can be made by visiting https://carbonhealth.com/covid-19-vaccines/los-angeles. However, the site will also accept walk-ups.

Along the San Bernardino Line, additional vaccination sites will operate from Tuesday, June 8 through Saturday, June 12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fontana, Montclair, and Upland Metrolink stations. The sites will operate again on June 29 through July 3 to administer second shots as needed.

Then vaccination centers will be at the Rialto, Downtown San Bernardino, and San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot stations from June 15 through June 19 and again from July 6 through July 10.

To help riders find vaccination sites within a three-mile radius of our stations, Metrolink created this online tool.

April 20, 2021 Update

Metrolink is pleased to be partnering with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to provide a free mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the safe environment of Metrolink’s Palmdale station.*

Vaccinations are available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday via walk up or by pre-registering with vaccination provider RemediaCare.

Remedia Care will supply vaccines to anyone who lives in or works in LA County, in accordance with current Public Health guidelines. The mobile clinic administers up to 250 vaccines per site/per day. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health said that as vaccine supply increases, partnerships with services such as Metrolink are critical to changing the trajectory of the pandemic.

To help riders find vaccination sites within a three-mile radius of our stations, Metrolink created this online tool.

*Another vaccination site that simultaneously had been established at Metrolink’s Lancaster station has now been consolidated to the Palmdale station.

February 15, 2021 Update

We are pleased to be able to offer our community a direct connection to Los Angeles County’s newest COVID-19 vaccination location at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) with a station located near the new “walk-up vaccination center.” The center first opened on Tuesday, Feb. 16 offering vaccination services 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

With this new vaccination site at Cal State LA, Metrolink can continue to serve as a vital and accessible link for so many of our residents who rely on public transportation.

Metrolink’s Cal State LA Station is on the San Bernardino Line. Metrolink riders can reach the walk-up vaccination location by taking the elevator or stairs from the train platform to the university transit center and following directional signs to Structure A. Shuttles will take people from the transit center to the vaccination walk-up site.

Metrolink trains make 15 stops at the Cal State L.A. station between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on week days, with 12 trains servicing during those hours on Saturday and ten on Sunday. See Metrolink schedules here.

We are grateful that Metrolink Board Member Hilda L. Solis, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Supervisor to the First District authored a motion directing Los Angeles County to partner with transportation operators, authorities, and companies to ensure community members, particularly those 65 years of age and older, can access vaccination sites with ease. For more information on your eligibility, please visit this site.

January 29, 2021 Update

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order requiring the public to wear face masks while on conveyances and in transportation hubs. Safety is foundational at Metrolink. We first required masks to be worn by passengers in April 2020, and in compliance with the CDC, we will continue to enforce this federal mandate to keep our riders as safe as possible while in our stations and riding our trains.

Metrolink expects riders to bring their own mask when riding the train, however, if you do not have a mask or face covering the Metrolink conductor will provide one to you. Children under the age of 2 years old do not need to wear a mask while riding. Metrolink conductors and other staff working on our trains wear masks for the safety of our riders and their own. We truly appreciate your support and cooperation as we help to keep our community functioning safely.

December 26, 2020 Update

Today we were heartbroken to learn that a Metrolink employee has died of complications of COVID-19. We cannot disclose their personal details, but they worked for Metrolink for nearly one year in our Dispatch Operations Center. The employee last worked on November 21, 2020. The work location was immediately deep cleaned and disinfected, and those who had worked close to the employee were alerted and quarantined.

This is the first death among the 77 Metrolink employees and contractors confirmed to have contracted the disease. Thirty-nine of them have recovered.

The Metrolink family extends our condolences and sympathies to the family of our friend and colleague. And our thoughts are with our employees and contractors who are currently fighting the disease.

December 22, 2020 Update

Metrolink is pleased to announce that now every Metrolink train car is equipped with new state-of-the-art antimicrobial air filters that treat the air going through them, destroying up to 99.98% of viruses and bacteria. The new filters also work with Metrolink’s Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system to improve air recirculation, drawing in outside air before distributing the filtered and cleaned air into train cars.

This is the latest step in the pledge to keep riders safe. As a reminder, every day Metrolink's Clean Care Crew deep cleans the trains, and use electrostatic sprayers to mist hospital-grade disinfectant throughout train cars, including hard-to-reach places. Plus, the Metrolink Clean Care Crew wipes and disinfects train car touch points throughout the day.

Metrolink offers contactless ticketing on the Mobile App, while the digital How Full Is My Train? tool helps riders plan ahead to ensure there’s enough room for physical distancing aboard the train. Metrolink has installed two hand sanitizer stations on every train car – one by each door. Also, for riders safety and the safety of the conductors and engineers, Metrolink requires that everyone wear face masks at stations and onboard the trains.

Click here to learn about all the ways you can travel safely with Metrolink.   

October 31, 2020 Update

In March, Metrolink temporarily reduced service levels due to the significant decrease in ridership caused by COVID-19. The goal is always to maintain a schedule that supports the transportation needs of essential workers and others who rely on our service, while allowing plenty of room for physical distancing.

Now, Metrolink is introducing modifications to our schedule, which begin November 16. After watching ridership very closely, Metrolink modified the schedule to reflect the changes in your travel patterns – which includes earlier travel times in the mornings and the afternoons. Some of the changes are:

• Re-introducing Express service on the San Bernardino Line so people can get to and from Los Angeles faster.
• Shifting schedules on the San Bernardino and Antelope Valley Lines so they depart at regular times and easier to remember, while allowing for seamless transfers to other Metrolink trains or local transit systems.
• Temporarily suspending trains with low ridership and adding back trains that better serve riders’ needs. View the modified schedule here. We know change is never easy, and understand this schedule might not be perfect for everyone. These changes were made very thoughtfully, and we can and will reinstate train service quickly when and where we see ridership demand growing. So, you are invited to share your feedback here.

September 4, 2020 Update

July 21, 2020 Update

While the stay-at-home orders have been in place, Metrolink has continued to work on projects that improve the rider experience. Metrolink has completed the installation of new ticket machines at all Metrolink stations across the network. The new machines provide a better ticket buying experience and are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Metrolink's new ticket machines:

• Offer service in English and Spanish
• Save riders’ time by pre-filling possible destination stations
• Include a touch screen that automatically brightens or dims to improve visibility
• Include features such as voice-enabled technology, a headphone jack and braille keypads – making them accessible to all
• Accept cash, debit and credit cards, Corporate Quick Cards, and promotional codes

Dispense tickets with a new look and feel, including a Metrolink watermark and holographic foil strip to improve security. Contactless ticketing is still available through the Metrolink Mobile App.

The new ticket machines are another way to provide riders a better, safer, and always essential Metrolink. Please visit metrolinktrains.com/cleancommute to see all the ways we are improving our service.

Your feedback about the new machines is welcome at [email protected]. Thank you for riding Metrolink!

July 10, 2020 Update

Metrolink is pleased to announce that as of today every Metrolink passenger car is equipped with two hand sanitizer stations – one near each train car door. We know this is important to you: through our recent survey you told us you want hand sanitizers on every train car – and we listened. This is an important milestone for Metrolink as we work to build a smarter, better, essential Metrolink service.

In case you missed it, we wanted to share some of the other ways we are keeping you safe.

• Social Distancing: Last week, Metrolink announced our new social distancing tool, How Full Is My Train?. The tool allows you to check the recent ridership of your train and confirm that there’s plenty of room for social distancing.
• Cleaning and Disinfecting: In May, we announced that our enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures now include daily deep cleaning and electrostatic spraying of hospital-grade disinfectants on trains, as well as the introduction of our Clean Care Crew who perform touchpoint cleaning on our cars throughout the day.
• Face Masks: As safety is a shared responsibility, we require all riders and employees to wear a face mask on our platforms and onboard our trains. Our conductors can provide a mask to anyone who forgets theirs.

Safety is and will remain Metrolink’s foundational value: we know we will earn your confidence and loyalty only if we are dedicated to ensuring the safest experience for our riders every day, week, month and year. Metrolink is an essential service to our community and you – our riders – are essential to our success.

July 2, 2020 Update

We asked you recently to tell us about your top concerns when you return to Metrolink, and you told us clean trains and social distancing were high on your list. We’ve been working hard to address your concerns while ensuring you have a clean and comfortable commute – you can see more about our enhanced cleaning procedures  here. And because safety is a shared responsibility, we require all riders and conductors to wear a face mask on our trains.  
 
Today, we took another important step with the launch of our new How Full Is My Train? tool, which makes it easy for you to check ridership levels before you take the train. Simply select your line and find your train; the tool will clearly tell you if ridership is below 30%, allowing plenty of room for social distancing. Try it out and let us know what you think on our social media channels using the hashtag #OurMetrolink.

We continue to closely monitor ridership on all our trains. When a train consistently reaches 30% ridership, we can add a passenger car to the train set or plan to add train service to allow for recommended social distancing. Your safety remains our top priority.
 
When you’re ready, we are here for you - smarter, better and as essential as ever.  

June 5, 2020 Update

Metrolink has been made aware that a signal and communications contractor tested positive for COVID-19. The contractor, a field employee, is currently under quarantine, and will not return to work until he is cleared by his physician.

The contractor does not have a customer-facing role, so this situation will not affect Metrolink service.

However, Metrolink asks that all Metrolink employees, contractors and riders continue to keep safe: practice social distancing, wear a face mask, wash their hands and use sanitizer. Most importantly: stay home and contact their physician if they are sick. It’s the best way to fight the spread of COVID-19.

May 19, 2020 Update

May 7, 2020 Update

All of us here at Metrolink hope you, your friends and loved ones are staying healthy and safe during this time. As we all know a lot has changed since March. The way we live, the way we work, the way we engage with one another.

One thing that hasn’t changed is Metrolink’s enduring commitment to keeping you safe while you ride our trains. Your safety remains our top priority even as we are reimagining how Metrolink can better serve you, your friends and loved ones.

We recently issued an online survey of our customers, and more than 11,000 of you responded. Not surprisingly, many of you expressed your desire for enhanced cleaning on our trains and ways to maintain social distancing while onboard.

We were especially heartened to learn that seven out of ten riders who are still taking Metrolink while stay-at-home orders are in place are doing so because they are in essential jobs that serve our fellow citizens in the fight against COVID-19. We were also happy to hear that 81% of you are likely to return – in phases – to riding the train when the stay-at-home orders are lifted.

In the spirit of transparency, we are sharing the findings from the survey with you here. Your feedback is valuable as we reimagine Metrolink and make sure our service meets your transportation needs. We look forward to welcoming you back soon to a better, smarter, essential Metrolink.

April 23, 2020 Update

April 8, 2020 Update

Today’s update is about something a little different: our Metrolink community.

We are struck by the sense of community that’s built on our trains. Those of us who ride regularly form friendships, expand our network, laugh and connect with one another. We miss that – we miss all of you. So today we created social spaces online to bring our community together. I’d like to invite you to join your fellow riders and us in our new Facebook Groups. Click here to select your favorite line.

Metrolink Facebook groups are a space for you to reconnect with all the people you miss seeing on your line, and hopefully form some new connections as well. We want our groups to be a place where you can find interesting conversation, warmth and laughter – much like our trains.

Join us to stay in touch and reconnect on Facebook.

March 24, 2020 Update

Many essential service employees – including nurses, doctors, first responders and even our own employees – rely on Metrolink to get to work. And we are grateful for their commitment to keeping our community safe and functioning.

As of Friday, March 20 our ridership is down around 80% systemwide, which means we can safely reduce service while facilitating social distancing on our trains. Effective Thursday, March 26 we will begin operating with a temporary service reduction until further notice.  You can see the schedule here.

Metrolink developed this temporary schedule to ensure essential service during peak times, and maintain as many connections as possible.  We also want to ensure riders and conductors have the space necessary to maintain appropriate social distancing.

Please know, we were very careful in making this decision. We take seriously both our role as a lifeline transportation service for our community and the need to keep our riders and employees safe during this global pandemic. We will continue to do all we can to maintain the cleanliness and social distancing that’s required to minimize the spread of this virus while still providing a vital service. That includes more hand sanitizers on our trains, the addition of more porters who board our trains to provide touchpoint cleaning throughout the day, in addition to the enhanced and more frequent cleaning we initiated a couple of weeks ago. 

While we really don’t know what will be next as we navigate these uncharted waters together, know that we are committed to your safety, and to timely communication. To help ensure you have the latest information, we will continue to maintain this landing page with our latest updates and schedules, plus links to schedule changes at other regional transportation providers. Texting "ML19" to "333777" will send you a link to the page so you can have easy access to it wherever you go.

Thank you for riding Metrolink.

March 18, 2020 Update

As we have shared previously, your safety, and the safety of our employees and contractors, is Metrolink’s top priority. Our team has been closely monitoring the rapidly-evolving developments regarding COVID-19, and are committed to following the guidance of federal, state and local health and government officials. 

Cleaning Protocols: We have taken immediate action to protect against the spread of this disease including ramping up cleaning practices on our trains. Click here for more info.

Schedule Info: We continue to operate our full service and plan to continue to do so until it makes sense for us to reduce the service. Click here to view our schedules.

Ridership Info: We are monitoring our ridership and the data tells us that many of you are following the guidelines set by health and government officials – our ridership is down around 64% as of Tuesday.

March Monthly Pass Credit/Refund Policy: We are also relaxing our Monthly Pass cancellation policy. If you did not at all use your monthly pass in March, we will issue a full refund. If you did use your pass for part of the month, we will provide you with a prorated credit for future use on our system that will be valid through December 31, 2020. If you would like a credit or a refund, click here.

L.A. Union Station Update: For those of you who use L.A. Union Station, Metro has announced that it will undergo a partial closure throughout the current COVID-19 event. The station will remain operational for Metrolink passengers with a valid ticket, and there will be a designated area for access to Metrolink ticketing, but we encourage you to purchase tickets through the Metrolink Mobile App.

We will let you know of any changes in our service on this webpage, via email and social media, on our trains and at our stations.

March 4, 2020 Update

Safety is a foundational value at Metrolink. The Metrolink team has been actively monitoring developments regarding COVID-19 – commonly referred to as the coronavirus. We would like to let you know about the extra steps we are taking to protect against the spread of this virus.

Effective immediately:

• Metrolink has increased the number of cleaning staff so passenger cars are cleaned more frequently throughout the day.
• We are cleaning and wiping down surfaces such as doors, restrooms, head and armrests, handrails, tables and trash areas using disinfecting products.
• We are ensuring that the hand sanitizers onboard trains are filled more often.

There are also steps you can take to protect yourself from illness. Based upon advice from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Do not touch your face.
• Clean and disinfect items and surfaces that you touch frequently.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with tissues – then throw away the tissues and wash your hands. If no tissues are available, cough or sneeze into your elbow – not your hands.
• Practice simple social distancing techniques – use verbal salutations instead of handshakes.

The LA County Public Health Department, CDC and WHO have provided some good resources for you.

Please know we will continue to do what we can to protect you and we appreciate your partnership in doing what you can to keep safe and healthy.

Thank you for riding Metrolink.

The Metrolink Team