Metrolink announced that it would start weekend Orange County Line service on June 3, 2006. The first train would be in the slot that Pacific Surfliner 567 would have if Amtrak used it. I could never understand why Amtrak does not run Pacific Surfliner 562 to San Diego on the weekends. If they did, a person could start their day in the bayside city by 9:00 AM before all the attractions opened. In addition, Pacific Surfliner 567 would take the pressure off Pacific Surfliner 769. If Amtrak informed passengers of this new Metrolink train, it could do well. Some people asked me why there was no southbound service in the morning, but that would come in July, when weekend service was planned to start on the Orange County-Inland Empire Line, and morning service south of Orange could be utilized. Also in July, we would have Sunday Orange County Line service on the same schedule.
I drove to Santa Ana station and as soon as I parked, Chris Parker arrived and we chatted at his car before I purchased a Metrolink Special Event ticket from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles at half price; this fare was good through December 31, 2006 and by buying this ticket, allowed Chris to ride for free, which only applied to the second person this particular day.
At the front of the station was a stage and balloons for the 9:00 kickoff celebration. We found Winston Walker and his daughter Christy then watched Pacific Surfliner 763 arrive. Our Pacific Surfliner had left Los Angeles twelve minutes late but arrived only nine minutes late.
Pacific Surfliner 564
Jim Nowell was waiting at the door and we chose three seats of a four-seat combination, as well as the two seats right behind on this very crowded train. We stopped at Irvine then slowed for Pacific Surfliner 565 before passing through Mission Viejo then arrived at San Juan Capistrano, where we all detrained and I helped Jim buy his Metrolink ticket.
The group photo at San Juan Capistrano.
Chris Parker then took a picture so I could be included.
Metrolink 655 arrived and our group boarded cab car 607, where we found Hideo Noji sitting behind where we sat, who had driven to Oceanside and would ride the whole route of this first run of the new service. The train made its way to Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo where we had a laugh from the single guest welcomer who provided us with a very entertaining show. It was here I found that Andrew, known locally as Mr. BNSF, was also onboard and asked him to join us. A lady thought we had been given T-shirts commemorating the new service, but we corrected her when I handed her my Trainweb.com card, then handed out a few more to other passengers.
We stopped at Irvine then Tustin and at CP Alviso, our train crossed over to Track 2 to be on the station side at Santa Ana. Pacific Surfliner 566 went by us before we arrived at Santa Ana, where the 9:00 AM kickoff participants would join our train. A second stop was made to load a wheelchair from the center platform, after which we continued Orange, Anaheim and Fullerton before passing through the future Buena Park station, then Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs. As we neared Hobart Yard, the train was slowed by a yellow signal and then a red at Hobart. Once it cleared, we proceeded over the flyover, past the Amtrak yard before arriving at Los Angeles Union Station a few minutes late.
A group photograph after our train had arrived at Los Angeles Union Station.
Chris Parker again borrowed the camera and took a second photograph so I could be included.
Pacific Surfliner 572 6/3/2006At this point, Hideo and Andrew bid us goodbye and the rest of us walked over to the waiting Pacific 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's newest service, Weekend Service on the Orange County Line.
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