Steps may be taken to speed commutes on Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line, according to a motion from Metro Directors Kathryn Barger and Ara Najarian.
The 77-mile commuter rail line between the City of Lancaster and Union Station travels along a meandering, legacy right-of-way which twists and turns along river beds and through mountain passes. Consequently, trains on on the Antelope Valley Line average just 35 miles per hour over the course of the trip.
The motion from Barger and Najarian directs staff to evaluate existing infrastructure along the Antelope Valley Line, including "tracks, culverts, tunnel [and] crossings," that limit operational flexibility and service reliability. The staff findings would in turn inform Metro's priorities as it updates its Long Range Transportation Plan, a policy document which dictates regional transportion priorities.
This study would dovetail with the new Los Angeles-Burbank-Glendale Corridor Feasibility Study, which is examining potential infill stations between Burbank Airport and Union Station.
