Metrolink Antelope Valley Line
Encyclopedia
The Antelope Valley Line is a commuter rail line that serves the Northern Los Angeles County area as part of the Metrolink
system. The line is presently more rural in character because it travels through the sparsely populated Soledad Canyon
between Santa Clarita
and Palmdale
, serving the small community of Acton
along the way. The line began service in 1992, and was called the Santa Clarita Line at the time. It was one of three original lines in the Metrolink system along with Ventura County
and San Bernardino
lines.
The route initially ran from Los Angeles Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles
to Santa Clarita station
. The railroad had plans to extend the line north to the Antelope Valley
in 10 to 15 years after inception; these plans were expedited in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake
. The earthquake caused the collapse of the freeway connector of State Route 14
(the Antelope Valley Freeway) onto Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway) in the Newhall Pass, forcing all traffic to use the parallel 2 lane truck bypass that was unaffected by the quake. Immediately after the earthquake the Southern California Regional Rail Authority decided to extend the line to help relieve the traffic bottleneck. The line between Santa Clarita and Lancaster was running two days after the earthquake. The Antelope Valley line began running on Saturdays and Sunday in September 2007.
The Antelope Valley line currently has 30 trains on weekdays, 12 trains on Saturdays, and 6 trains on Sundays. The July 2011 timetable shows 9 weekday trains LA to Lancaster, 1 to Palmdale, 2 to Via Princessa and 3 to Santa Clarita. Typical weekdays with 2 reverse-commute (peak) trains are "squeezing" the schedule between peak trains (8 trains) going into or out of downtown. Morning southbound and evening northbound express trains between Palmdale and Los Angeles with stops at the Santa Clarita, and Burbank stations were added to the schedule in May 2011.
The Antelope Valley Line serves 11 stations
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
system. The line is presently more rural in character because it travels through the sparsely populated Soledad Canyon
Soledad Canyon
Soledad Canyon is a long narrow canyon / valley located in Los Angeles County, California between the cities of Palmdale and Santa Clarita. Soledad Canyon contains the localities of Vincent, Acton, Ravenna, Russ, and Agua Dulce....
between Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
and Palmdale
Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
, serving the small community of Acton
Acton, California
Acton was founded in 1887 by gold miners who were working in the Red Rover Mine. It was named after Acton, Massachusetts by one of the miners. Two of the best-known gold mines located in Acton were the Red Rover mine and the Governors mine. Mining of gold, copper, and titanium ore continued into...
along the way. The line began service in 1992, and was called the Santa Clarita Line at the time. It was one of three original lines in the Metrolink system along with Ventura County
Metrolink Ventura County Line
Metrolink's Ventura County Line is a commuter rail line serving Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. Service on this line began in 1992 as one of Metrolink's original three lines, with service from Moorpark to Los Angeles Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles...
and San Bernardino
Metrolink San Bernardino Line
The San Bernardino Line is the busiest of Southern California's seven Metrolink lines, running from Downtown Los Angeles east through the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire to San Bernardino. It is one of the three initial lines on the original Metrolink system...
lines.
The route initially ran from Los Angeles Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
to Santa Clarita station
Santa Clarita (Metrolink station)
Santa Clarita is a Metrolink rail station in the city of Santa Clarita, California. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster. 24 Metrolink trains serve the station each weekday and 8 serve the station on Saturdays. Sunday service began in...
. The railroad had plans to extend the line north to the Antelope Valley
Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...
in 10 to 15 years after inception; these plans were expedited in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake
Northridge earthquake
The Northridge earthquake was a massive earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about 10–20 seconds...
. The earthquake caused the collapse of the freeway connector of State Route 14
California State Route 14
State Route 14 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, largely in the Mojave Desert. The southern portion of the highway is signed as the Antelope Valley Freeway. The route connects Interstate 5, or Golden State Freeway, near Santa Clarita and with U.S. Route 395 near...
(the Antelope Valley Freeway) onto Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway) in the Newhall Pass, forcing all traffic to use the parallel 2 lane truck bypass that was unaffected by the quake. Immediately after the earthquake the Southern California Regional Rail Authority decided to extend the line to help relieve the traffic bottleneck. The line between Santa Clarita and Lancaster was running two days after the earthquake. The Antelope Valley line began running on Saturdays and Sunday in September 2007.
The Antelope Valley line currently has 30 trains on weekdays, 12 trains on Saturdays, and 6 trains on Sundays. The July 2011 timetable shows 9 weekday trains LA to Lancaster, 1 to Palmdale, 2 to Via Princessa and 3 to Santa Clarita. Typical weekdays with 2 reverse-commute (peak) trains are "squeezing" the schedule between peak trains (8 trains) going into or out of downtown. Morning southbound and evening northbound express trains between Palmdale and Los Angeles with stops at the Santa Clarita, and Burbank stations were added to the schedule in May 2011.
The Antelope Valley Line serves 11 stations
- Union StationUnion Station (Los Angeles)Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... - GlendaleGlendale (Amtrak station)The Glendale Amtrak/Metrolink Station, often referred to as the Glendale Transportation Center, is an Amtrak and Metrolink rail station in the city of Glendale, California...
, GlendaleGlendale, CaliforniaGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California... - Downtown BurbankDowntown Burbank (Metrolink station)The Burbank Metrolink Station, sometimes referred to as the Burbank Transportation Center, is a Metrolink rail station near downtown Burbank, California. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line to Lancaster and Ventura County Line to Montalvo, Ventura and both terminating at Los Angeles...
, Burbank - Sun ValleySun Valley (Metrolink station)The Sun Valley Metrolink Station is a Metrolink rail station in the community of Sun Valley, California. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster. 24 Metrolink trains serve the station each weekday and 8 serve the station on Saturdays...
, Sun ValleySun Valley, Los Angeles, CaliforniaSun Valley is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, about 15 miles away from Downtown Los Angeles.... - Sylmar/San FernandoSylmar/San Fernando (Metrolink station)Sylmar/San Fernando is a Metrolink rail station in the city of San Fernando, California. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster...
, SylmarSylmar, Los Angeles, CaliforniaSylmar is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. The northernmost neighborhood in the city, Sylmar is located east of Interstate 5 and north of the city of San Fernando...
/San FernandoSan Fernando, CaliforniaSan Fernando is a city located in the San Fernando Valley, in northwestern region of Los Angeles, California, United States. The population was 23,645 at the 2010 census, up from 23,564 at the 2000 census.-History:... - NewhallNewhall (Metrolink station)Newhall is a Metrolink rail station in the city of Santa Clarita, California. The station is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster. 24 Metrolink trains serve the station each weekday and 8 serve the station on Saturdays. Sunday service began in...
, Santa ClaritaSanta Clarita, CaliforniaSanta Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown... - Santa ClaritaSanta Clarita (Metrolink station)Santa Clarita is a Metrolink rail station in the city of Santa Clarita, California. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster. 24 Metrolink trains serve the station each weekday and 8 serve the station on Saturdays. Sunday service began in...
, Santa ClaritaSanta Clarita, CaliforniaSanta Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown... - Via PrincessaVia Princessa (Metrolink station)Via Princessa is a Metrolink rail station located in the city of Santa Clarita, California. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster....
, Santa ClaritaSanta Clarita, CaliforniaSanta Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown... - Vincent Grade/ActonVincent Grade/Acton (Metrolink station)The Vincent Grade/Acton Metrolink Station is a Metrolink rail station in the community of Acton, California. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster. Eighteen Metrolink trains serve the station each weekday, eleven serve the station on Saturdays...
, South PalmdalePalmdale, CaliforniaPalmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
/ActonActon, CaliforniaActon was founded in 1887 by gold miners who were working in the Red Rover Mine. It was named after Acton, Massachusetts by one of the miners. Two of the best-known gold mines located in Acton were the Red Rover mine and the Governors mine. Mining of gold, copper, and titanium ore continued into... - Palmdale Transportation CenterPalmdale Transportation CenterThe Palmdale Transportation Center is a multi-modal transportation center featuring a Metrolink rail station, a local bus hub, and commuter bus hub, in the city of Palmdale, California...
, Downtown PalmdalePalmdale, CaliforniaPalmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is... - LancasterLancaster (Metrolink station)The Lancaster Metrolink Station is a Metrolink rail station in the city of Lancaster, California, United States. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Lancaster. 21 Metrolink trains serve the station each weekday, 12 serve on Saturdays and 6 serve on...
, LancasterLancaster, CaliforniaLancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
Future Expansion
- Metrolink is considering increasing midday service along Antelope Valley line but the added service is unlikely to be added until Metrolink receives their orders for more cab cars, coaches, and locomotives which are scheduled to be delivered in Late 2008.
External links
- Metrolink Schedules
- http://www.openstreetmap.org/?relation=1172222 – Route on OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...