Metrolink L.A uses ACE, Cosater, Sounder rail cars and locomotives

[Jake]

I saw all them while I was in Union Station, L.A. Do you have any idea why they uses other companies cars?

 

[gswager]

Sounders and ACE have surplus equipments and LA Metrolink's long term forecast for number of passengers came up few years too soon. So LA Metrolink was in desperated searching for more cars and locomotives and leased them from other commuter agencies. LA already ordered the equipments few years ago and it takes about several years to have them on hand. I think the new equipment may come next year or so.

 

[Jake]

Sounders and ACE have surplus equipments and LA Metrolink's long term forecast for number of passengers came up few years too soon. So LA Metrolink was in desperated searching for more cars and locomotives and leased them from other commuter agencies. LA already ordered the equipments few years ago and it takes about several years to have them on hand. I think the new equipment may come next year or so.

Oh I see.... It was kinda weird to see Sounders and ACE cars next to Metrolink cars in Union Station. Thank you for the heads up!

 

[sechs]

Does ACE actually have any spare equipment? Sounder has so many extra trainsets, that they've got them in use just about everywhere.

Metrolink also lost some cars to wrecks, and so doesn't really have any spares. So, if anything needs to go off for service, they'll need to borrow trains to cover; I know that a couple CalTrain sets have been down there.

 

[Superliner Diner]

That's OK... If you ride the Washington Metro Red Line by the Ivy City Amtrak yards, you can spot Sounder cars used by VRE (some still sporting Sounder livery), and some former Chicago gallery cars in use by both VRE and MARC.

I understand that Sounder has recalled some equipment in preparation for the inauguration this September of reverse commute service on its Seattle-Tacoma line.