COASTER SERVICE TO EXTEND ITS REACH TO ANAHEIM UNDER DEAL

The North County Transit District board approved a deal last week with Metrolink, the Orange County commuter rail system, that would allow Coaster trains to travel from San Diego to as far as Anaheim for special events such as major league baseball playoff games.

Coaster trains now only travel between San Diego and Oceanside, and Metrolink goes between Oceanside and Anaheim, the home of Disneyland and the Los Angeles Angels baseball team in Orange County. The tentative agreement would basically overlap the two agencies’ service routes between those cities.

“It would create more rides and maximize capacity,” said Karen Tucholski, in a presentation to the NCTD board on Thursday.

“NCTD and Metrolink have agreed to focus initial efforts on providing service for special events like the 2021 Major League Baseball playoffs, 2022 Major League Baseball All-star Team, 2022 National Football League Super Bowl, 2028 Summer Olympics and other agreed upon special events,” states a report presented by Tucholski.

The two transit agencies will coordinate fares, fare systems and applications, and station information support for a “seamless rider experience,” it states.

“When we have special events, we will come up with the fares,” said NCTD Executive Director Matt Tucker. “In the longer term we would need to (coordinate) fares so customers can go to a terminal and buy one ticket.”

The program would begin with a few pilot events to build confidence and trust in the system.

Metrolink’s board is expected to approve the agreement by the end of September.

No specific costs are assigned to the program yet. When possible, services will be “cost neutral” between the two agencies to minimize the expense of the expanded and improved services, the report states.

Del Mar Mayor Terry Gaasterland was the only board member to vote against the agreement with Metrolink. She said she could not support it until the bluff stabilization project is completed in Del Mar, where erosion threatens the seaside tracks.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com