Amtrak recently secured a contract from Metrolink, Southern California’s passenger train service, to provide and manage engineers and conductors operating trains – bolstering safety and customer service.
The four-and-a-half-year contract for commuter train operations services begins on Jan. 1, 2021, and expires on June 30, 2025. Amtrak’s proposal was selected from a field of five submissions.
“We are honored to continue serving Metrolink and the communities and residents of Southern California,” Amtrak President Stephen Gardner said. “We look forward to building upon our many years of partnership and helping the agency achieve its bold vision of growth and improvement.”
Metrolink operators maintain taking the train is the smartest, cleanest, and greenest way to travel. The service seeks to protect the environment by embracing social responsibility, creating economic vitality, and enhancing the quality of life for the communities it serves.
The trains offer views of the SoCal scenery that include mountains, ocean, and city views travelers can often miss while sitting in freeway traffic, officials said, noting Metrolink is the lifestyle choice for riders interested in improving the region’s air quality and reducing traffic congestion.
Metrolink removes 9.3 million weekday trips every year; reduces vehicle miles traveled by 339,329,158 miles; eliminates 130,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions; and provides environmental benefits of planting a 170,000-acre forest, per data.