Don’t expect Metrolink to go electric any time soon, officials say

Transit activists are lauding a Bay Area passenger rail service for switching from diesel to electric and urging Southern California’s Metrolink to follow its lead.

Last week, Caltrain, which serves the San Francisco Peninsula down to the Gilroy area, officially began running electric trains across its 77-mile system.

It’s part of a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar modernization project that will both remove emissions from the busy train corridor and prepare the region for the eventual arrival of the California High-Speed Rail, which will operate in the same space in a “blended system” when it arrives sometime in the 2030s.

In addition to the environmental benefits, the trains are smoother, quieter and capable of traveling at higher speeds than their diesel counterparts, state officials and early riders have said.

A handful of trains are being deployed across the Caltrain fleet in the coming weeks as part of a “soft launch” before its existing diesel vehicles are retired from service and phased out later this year.

When fully operational, Caltrain says the electric trains will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the area by 250,000 tons per year — the equivalent of taking 55,000 cars off the road.

Ian Choudri, the newly announced CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the project was one piece of a “bigger vision of electrified rail throughout California.”

In addition to state leaders like Choudri and Gov. Gavin Newsom, the successful launch of electric trains on a busy commuter rail system is being praised by transit activists and environmental groups. That’s inevitably led to many looking south and asking if Metrolink has any similar plans on the horizon.

An online petition with hundreds of signatures is now urging Southern California’s regional train service to follow in Caltrain’s footsteps.

An organization called Californians for Electric Rail drafted the petition and says the populous Los Angeles area is in need of faster, cleaner rail service, arguing that improved and more frequent service would help gain riders and improve their overall experience.

Electrification, according to the petition, should be a priority for Metrolink, especially ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“To clean up our air, take cars off congested freeways, and bring high speed rail to Southern California, we need an Electrified Metrolink,” the petition reads.

But Metrolink officials are pumping the brakes on any plans to electrify its system in the near future.

A Metrolink spokesperson tells KTLA that there are practical challenges with bringing electrification to the Southern California region that Caltrain up north simply didn’t face.

For one, Metrolink’s entire system is vastly larger than Caltrain. While Caltrain serves about 77 miles of tracks, Metrolink has more than 545 total service miles across six counties.

The price tag for electrification would be significantly higher than the $2.4 billion that Caltrain spent, which also included funding help — $700 million — from the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Complicating the matter further, unlike Caltrain, not all of the service area is outright owned by government agencies.

Metrolink owns the right-of-way of about 350 miles of its system, which it purchased from freight companies that have the right and continue to use the tracks utilizing diesel trains. More than 200 miles of the Metrolink service area is still owned and operated entirely by these freight companies, including Union Pacific and BNSF.

But Metrolink insists it is still working to modernize its system while keeping reliability and the environment in mind.

Metrolink has purchased some hydrogen-powered “zero-emission” rail vehicles with the help of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and is in the process of replacing 12 of its older diesel locomotives with new “Tier 4” locomotives.

“Tier 4 is an EPA category designation for the cleanest operating diesel rail vehicles, reducing particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 86% and 84%, respectively, compared to previous generations of locomotives,” Metrolink officials say.

In total, Metrolink currently operates and maintains 40 of those Tier 4 locomotives and it says it was the first passenger rail service in the U.S. to make the switch.

In 2022, Metrolink transitioned from using traditional diesel and petroleum fossil fuels to renewable fuel derived from “recycled natural fats and vegetable oils,” which it says slashes carbon dioxide emissions by about 60 percent.

The regional rail service says it is committed to pursuing “climate-conscious solutions” across its system to provide clean and sustainable service. But right now, its focus is on its zero-emission vehicles and hydrogen power.

While inarguably better for the environment than diesel, transit activists are skeptical about the feasibility and practicality of choosing hydrogen over a proven technology like electricity.

Carter Rubin of the Natural Resources Defense Council described the problem of Metrolink opting for hydrogen-powered zero-emission vehicles being deployed on its Arrow service in San Bernardino County.

“Every other electrified rail line can go buy electric trains at the train store (competitive bids from multiple reputable companies) while San Bernardino is committing to buying expensive, bespoke, untested tech that no one else is ever going to buy,” Rubin said on X .

He urged all those reacting to that post to sign the petition and urge Metrolink to reconsider its trajectory and focus on creating a “beautiful regional rail system, running trains every 20 minutes from Burbank to Anaheim and Ventura to Cucamonga under lighting-fast electric wires.”

While it’s unclear if a wave of letters could sway Metrolink’s board of directors, at this time, Metrolink says you shouldn’t expect to see it running electric trains any time soon.

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