Hundreds help welcome the next-generation of passenger rail

REDLANDS, CA – A crowd of more than 300 on Friday helped usher in a new age of commuter transit in Southern California with a ribbon cutting for the new Arrow Line at the historic Redlands-Downtown station.

Local, state and national officials joined community members and leaders from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) and Metrolink in welcoming the highly anticipated new service and the state-of-the-art clean-air passenger trains that will transform how commuter rail is operated in the Inland Empire and across the state.

Arrow, which officially begins service on Monday, has been more than a decade in the making, featuring new tracks, enhanced street crossings, quiet zones, and five stations along the 9-mile route between downtown San Bernardino and downtown Redlands.

Arrow will connect the East Valley of San Bernardino County to a multi-modal transit hub that can provide access to all points west. Five new stations will connect residents, businesses, and visitors to a variety of leisure, education, healthcare, and other destinations. The stations include San Bernardino-Downtown (Rialto Avenue and E Street), San Bernardino-Tippecanoe Station (between Victoria Avenue and Hardt Street), Redlands-Esri (across from the Esri campus), Redlands-Downtown (just north of the historic Redlands Santa Fe Depot), and Redlands-University (the south end of the University of Redlands campus).

“The launch of the Arrow Line signals the next generation of commuter rail service across our region. This clean-air service will help to improve air quality while providing direct access to the Metrolink system for tens of thousands of additional commuters in one of the fastest-growing population and economic centers in the nation,” said Art Bishop, President of the SBCTA Board and Mayor pro Tem of the Town of Apple Valley.

Among others who spoke at Friday’s ribbon cutting were U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and San Bernardino County 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. The event also featured a video welcome from U.s. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Metrolink is the owner and operator of Arrow. Metrolink will share Arrow schedule and fares on its communication platforms. For more information riders can text or call Metrolink at (800) 371-5465 or submit an email through its Customer Service webpage.

For more on the Arrow Line, visit SBCTA’s project page.