Metrolink passes

[Dan O]

I tried to buy a shirt for my train loving daughter through Metrolink. The shirt says "the train is my getaway car " https://store.metrolinktrains.com/products/getaway-car-unisex-t-shirt-2
I thought it was cute
Metrolink was slow to fulfill the order due to some problem. I received the shirt probably 10 days after what was promised so they sent me 2 Metrolink promo passes. The passes are in my app as corporate promo round trip passes. They expire dec 2nd. I wasn't upset the shirt was late. I had just sent an email inquiring as to the status of the order. I had no plans to ride but now I'll have to figure out a reason to do so.

 

[Dan O]

So right before they expired I took my adult nephew to downtown LA. Visited Union Station, City Hall (went to the 27th floor observation deck), took the subway, ate at the Original Pantry ( they have limited hours now!), Angel's Flight, Pershing Square (watched the ice skaters), saw the Bradbury bldg and Grand Central market. I also sent by a place I worked on Figueroa. There used to be an asphalt parking lot across the street but now there's a 40 story building there. He'd never been on a train. He enjoyed the ride and the few places we visited.

 

[BCL]

I've strangely enough never taken Metrolink. I do remember riding on Pacific Surfliner where I think I saw a few passengers board with Metrolink tickets in Ventura.

As far as I can tell, the virtual tickets on the app are valid on Pacific Surfliner.

 

[GDRRiley]

As far as I can tell, the virtual tickets on the app are valid on Pacific Surfliner.

Right now you can only use Metrolink tickets on Amtrak for the Ventura County line with 5 Surfliner trains each direction.

 

[TinCan782]

There are two programs that allow some interchangeability between Metrolink and Pacific Surfliner:
Rail 2 Rail® ... https://metrolinktrains.com/rider-info/general-info/rail-2-rail/
and
Codeshare ... https://metrolinktrains.com/rider-info/general-info/codeshare/

 

[Cal]

I have the Student Adventure Pass and I love using it! The past few months I've hopped around SoCal a lot on it, all for free, and have been on all of Metrolink's trackage now. I love that you can use it on Surfliners north of LA since I can get a 2 hour Amtrak ride in for free.

 

[Dan O]

I have the Student Adventure Pass and I love using it! The past few months I've hopped around SoCal a lot on it, all for free, and have been on all of Metrolink's trackage now. I love that you can use it on Surfliners north of LA since I can get a 2 hour Amtrak ride in for free.

Can you use that for the subway? We were able to use the Metrolink tickets to ride the subway.

 

[Cal]

Can you use that for the subway? We were able to use the Metrolink tickets to ride the subway.

I think so. I have it on the app and I tried to scan it and nothing happened, but I think that if I showed it to a fare collector they are supposed to accept it.

 

[BCL]

I think so. I have it on the app and I tried to scan it and nothing happened, but I think that if I showed it to a fare collector they are supposed to accept it.

It’s easy on a bus to just show a ticket/pass to a driver. However, LA Metro isn’t a proof of fare system (like San Francisco’s MUNI) and stations have fare gates. I don’t think LA Metro has gates that just open if you stand long enough.

Their info says to show it to an attendant. But I don’t recall there always being an attendant present at LA Metro light rail or subway stations.

https://metrolinktrains.com/rider-info/general-info/transit-connections/​

3. Just show your Metrolink ticket to the driver or attendant upon boarding your connecting transit service.​

The closest I came to doing anything like this was riding OCTA. I had my cash fare out for maybe a 1 mile ride to the Anaheim station. I would have walked (plenty of time) but I had a tweaked ankle. I also had my Amtrak ticket out, but that was just kind of random as I had a bunch of things in my hands. The driver saw the ticket and said don’t worry about it. It wasn’t on the list of routes (basically just route 50) where one could ride for free with a Pacific Surfliner ticket. Or maybe that was for any bus that serviced the station.

 

[Cal]

It’s easy on a bus to just show a ticket/pass to a driver. However, LA Metro isn’t a proof of fare system (like San Francisco’s MUNI) and stations have fare gates. I don’t think LA Metro has gates that just open if you stand long enough.

Their info says to show it to an attendant. But I don’t recall there always being an attendant present at LA Metro light rail or subway stations.

You're right. I tested it at the light rail stop at Union Station which doesn't have gates, just the tap podiums. Not sure what'd I do at other stations.

 

[trainman74]

Found this photo of an L.A. Metro turnstile:

The area where it's glowing red is a scanner that's supposed to be able to read the QR code in the Metrolink app.

 

[BCL]

Found this photo of an L.A. Metro turnstile:

The area where it's glowing red is a scanner that's supposed to be able to read the QR code in the Metrolink app.

Just as an aside, I’ve noticed that Pacific Surfliner access to included public transportation is limited. I think in LA County it’s only an arrangement with one transit agency. So it might make a lot more sense to get a Metrolink ticket to ride the Surfliner, especially for the free public transportation connections. Even then, I’d be surprised if those code readers wouldn’t be able to read Amtrak tickets or codes. As far as I can tell, Amtrak is using QR on print yourself tickets, but PDF417 is used for everything else now, including multi-rides. I’m not quite sure how it should work for multi-rides, where it’s theoretically possible to get a refund before using a ride, although it looks like the current terms are pretty poor (25% penalty).