Newly announced Metrolink budget cuts include major service reductions and fare increases across all lines, with Orange County experiencing some of the most severe cuts.
According to Californians for Electric Rail, between 2024 and 2025, Metrolink saw some of the highest ridership increases of any rail agency nationwide. It notes that as of February 2026, Metrolink is still at only 58% of its pre-pandemic ridership levels.
“Metrolink ridership never fully recovered from the pandemic, remaining at approximately 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels, while operating costs continued to rise,” said Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Spokesperson Joel Zlotnik in an email to the Daily Titan. “Since 2021, OCTA used an additional more than $300 million in one-time state and federal funding to sustain service, but those funds have been exhausted.”
Metrolink is also carrying huge deficits, with transportation officials noting that Metrolink’s current level of service is unsustainable.
For the fiscal year 2027 proposed budget, Farebox revenue — the agency’s largest component of operating revenue — is down 18.1%. Additionally, Metrolink’s Maintenance of Way (MOW) revenues and expenses are unbalanced.
Metrolink’s projected MOW, or track maintenance, expenses are almost $65.5 million, while MOW revenues, produced by freight companies using Metrolink tracks, are only about $14.2 million.
In response to these imbalances, Metrolink is increasing fares and reducing service.
The county is experiencing some of the most severe cuts, facing weekday service cuts by 38%, including an elimination of services to Oceanside, and 50% reductions to weekend services, with only two roundtrips per day.
To compensate, Metrolink is relying on the Amtrak Surfliner to accommodate for the cuts and sustain the extra service.
The fare changes went into effect Oct. 5 and consist of a 14% increase in one-way tickets, $4 increase in weekday SoCal day passes, $2 increase in weekend or holiday SoCal day passes and a “slight adjustment” to their monthly pass and 5-day flex pass.
Although these fares are increasing, Metrolink’s everyday discounts will remain the same, along with the 50% student and youth discount.
The changes from the fiscal year 2026 to the fiscal year 2027 budget have reduced their deficit by 3.5%, however, they are still operating with a $266 million deficit.
The deficit is mostly paid for by Southern California transportation agencies, with the largest contributors being the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO) and OCTA.
Zlotnik stated that OCTA has been a strong supporter of Metrolink for over 30 years and has invested more than $790 million in local Measure M funding to improve Metrolink.
He additionally noted that Metrolink’s current level of service is unsustainable and, according to an operating support table from Southern California Regional Rail Authority, OCTA is reducing their support financing by 10.9% for next year’s budget.
Along with lower ridership levels, Metrolink officials note that the cost of operating and maintaining its regional rail system has continued to rise.
OCTA officials say they have worked with Metrolink to minimize the impacts of the cuts and preserve as much service as possible.
According to Zlotnik, their analysis shows that 79% of weekday riders in the county affected by the changes will have another Metrolink train within 30 minutes, and 90% if Amtrak trains are included.
First-year communications major Jonathan Rodriguez has experience with utilizing the Metrolink system and said that when dealing with long commutes — similar to his two-hour trip from LA — a 30-minute delay can cause a lot of trouble.
“I need to get here at a certain time…after I work, I have to come to school, and if I was 30 minutes late, that was it,” Rodriguez said. “The whole train takes forever.”
Zlotnik additionally noted that not all Amtrak trains serve the same stations and fare prices may differ as well.
The Metrolink Board of Directors will be holding a public hearing on Oct. 23 to discuss the proposed schedule changes and hear feedback.