A weekend Metrolink trip turned into a sweltering wait on the tracks Saturday afternoon, when a train bound from Oceanside to San Bernardino stalled in Anaheim Hills and left roughly 500 riders stuck for about two hours. Passengers were told it was unsafe to disembark, and several people ended up needing treatment for heat-related symptoms as they sat in place.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Metrolink spokeswoman Sabrina Davis said the Inland Empire to Orange County Line train No. 1858 experienced mechanical trouble around 4:30 p.m. and came to a stop between the Anaheim Canyon and Corona stations. Davis said the train was not safe for riders to exit while it was stranded on the tracks.
Train Route and Pickup
Metrolink's published timetable shows the Inland Empire to Orange County Line runs between Oceanside and San Bernardino and serves stations including Anaheim Canyon and Corona. Per Metrolink, train 1858 is a regularly scheduled weekend run that often carries beach-bound riders.
Another train arrived about two hours after the breakdown to pick up stranded passengers, though some riders had already left on their own. Several passengers were treated for heat exhaustion and difficulty breathing, and Metrolink also arranged bus and Uber rides to get people to their final destinations, the Los Angeles Times reports. The train that picked up the stranded riders ended its run in downtown Riverside.
Reliability and System Strain
The breakdown comes after months in which Metrolink has trimmed some runs amid mechanical problems and parts shortages, a move that critics say leaves fewer spare trains to deploy when something goes wrong. As Metrolink reduces service across most SoCal lines, those cuts have been an ongoing source of frustration for commuters across the region.
What Riders Should Do
If you're traveling by Metrolink this weekend, it is worth signing up for customized alerts and checking train status before you head to the station. Metrolink offers text and email subscriptions and a live train-tracker tool at metrolinktrains.com/subscribe.
