Metrolink announced that it would start weekend Orange County Line Service on June 3, 2006. The first train would be in the slot that Surfliner 567 would run in if Amtrak was smart enough to use it. Think about something. If they ran Surfliner 562 to San Diego on the weekend you could start your day off in the bayside city by 9 AM before the attractions opened. Surfliner 567 would take pressure off of Surfliner 769. If Amtrak tells passengers of this new Metrolink train it could do well. Some people had commented to me that why is the no service in the morning south. That will come in July when weekend service starts on the Orange County Inland Empire Line morning service south of Orange could be utilized. Also in July we get Sunday Orange County Line service on the same schedule.
I drove down to the Santa Ana Station and right after I parked Chris Parker arrived. We talked at his car before I purchased a Metrolink Special Event Ticket San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles at 50% off fair is good through December 31,2006 and by doing so Chris rides free which was only for the second person today. We next walked over to the front of the station where I took the following pictures of the set up for the 9 AM kickoff celebration at Santa Ana.
After doing that we found Winston Walker and his daughter Christy then watched Surfliner 763 arrive into Santa ana. Our Surfliner 564 had left Los Angeles 12 minutes late but arrived into Santa Ana only 9 minutes late.
Surfliner 564
Jim Nowell was waiting at the door and we took three seats of a four seater and the two seats right behind on this very crowded train. We stopped at Irvine then slowed for Surfliner 565 before we passed through Mission Viejo. We arrived into San Juan Capistrano and we all detrained. I helped Jim buy his Metrolink ticket before we posed for a group picture.
The group photo at San Juan Capistrano.
Chris Parker took this picture so I could be included.
Metrolink 655 pulled into San Juan Capistrano and our group boarded cab car 607 where we first found Hideo Noji sitting behind where we sat. He had driven to Oceanside and would ride this whole route of this first run of the new service. The train headed to Laguna Niguel/ Mission Viejo where we got a laugh from the single guest welcomer who provided us with a very entertaining show. It was here I found that Andrew, know locally as Mr. BNSF, was also onboard and asked him to join us. A lady thought we had been given T-shirts with the new service but we corrected here when I handed her a Trainweb.com card of mine then passed a few more out in the car. The train stopped at Irvine then made its way to Tustin. At CP Alviso our train crossed over to Track 2 to be on the station side at Santa Ana. Surfliner 566 went by us before we arrived into Santa Ana where the 9 AM Kickoff participates would join our train. We made a second stop to load a wheelchair off the center platform. The train next went to Orange then Anaheim and onto Fullerton. The train then ran by the future Buena Park Station then made our way to Norwalk/ Santa Fe Springs. As we neared Hobart Yard our train slowed by yellow signals then a red at Hobart. Once it cleared, we had our way over the flyover and by the Amtrak Yard before we arrived into Los Angeles Union Station a few minutes late. We all got off to set up for a group picture.
Here is a group photo after our train had arrived into Los Angeles Union Station.
Chris Parker borrowed the camera again to have me in the photo which I just sat in front of the group. At this point Hideo and Andrew bid us goodbye and the rest of us walked over to the waiting Surfliner 572 which we took home to Santa Ana. Jim got off at Fullerton and the rest of us detrained at Santa Ana ending a great first trip on Metrolink newest service, Weekend Service on the Orange County Line.