by Rob Lindley
Earlier this year, my work sent me to a training course in Ontario, California, and I took a side trip to San Diego. I arrived there Saturday morning, and on Saturday afternoon, ventured to San Diego's railroad station, the old Santa Fe Depot, to buy a ticket for my trip to Ontario.
Inside the Santa Fe Depot, I was pleased to see this historic station handling modern passenger trains while not losing its original flavor. The mosaic floors were marvelously cared for; the ticket counter up-to-date but with a feeling of the heyday of Santa Fe trains. A Coaster was ready for departure, fully loaded with people on their way to the beaches north of San Diego; a San Diegan was arriving from the north. There was a news stand and snack bar in the waiting room. The line for purchasing tickets was six deep, and the agents dispatched them quickly. They were very helpful, not only selling me the ticket but inquiring about connections at Los Angeles Union Station to my final destination.
Mid-morning Monday, I went to the depot, and noticed how busy the San Diego Trolley was in this downtown area; the depot is near a transfer point and cars zoomed past every few minutes. The San Diegan was waiting for departure; there was no baggage check - only the trains meeting connections to other points in Los Angeles have baggage cars. The coaches were all Budd Amcoaches, as was the café car. This was my first trip in an Amcoach; having read how it resembled an airline cabin, I was pleased with the comfort. The train left on time, and the scenery was great.
This was my first time arriving Los Angeles by train. The city looks much different than when you fly into LAX. I was pleased to see my train arrive "On Time".
I was soon to realize, as I entered Los Angeles Union Station, that my adventure had just really begun. I was told I could make a bus connection to Ontario from Union Station. But after forty-five minutes of searching the multitude of bus stops, I finally happened on a training bus; the supervisor was apologetic and said the bus had been discontinued several months previous due to lack of ridership. He did suggest a alternative bus trip comprising of six routes and five transfers through the Basin. I opted instead to visit the MetroLink desk and find out when I could take the commuter train; the next Riverside line train was due in two hours.
Los Angeles Union Station provided a fine place to wait for a train. There are two large courtyards and a waiting room of many seats (no benches - just overstuffed twin seats on either side of a wooden pedestal), as well a book/news store, a snack bar and a hot dog stand - "Hot Dog Express". The constant flow of people here illustrates how vital the trains are as part of southern California's transportation system; this was borne out by the Amtrak ticket windows, which were always busy. Trains with local traffic were in and out; long distance trains were filling.
Finally I ventured up to Track 6 for the MetroLink departure toward Riverside. Three platforms were full of passengers heading toward the first MetroLink departures of the afternoon rush. The only problem I observed is the lack of adequate marking on trains – as a first time rider, it's not easy to distinguish between them. Happily, the other passengers were helpful – quite different from the attitude on the freeways of Los Angeles. After the doors on my train opened, the car filled quickly, leaving few seats vacant.
Leaving Union Station, we covered trackage familiar from my San Diegan ride, but soon diverged to go east. The trip was easier than fighting the traffic on the freeways, which we could see were clogged and sluggish. Arriving at Ontario, there was a connecting bus - the MetroLink ticket was surrendered for a bus ride to my final destination - the Ontario Airport, where my rental car was located.
It was eye-opening to see how a good regional transportation system, with trains, buses, light rail, as well as automobiles, can make an otherwise hectic trip into an enjoyable one.
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