In an attempt to simplify the ticketing process and encourage ridership, Metrolink is unveiling a new pricing model that will reduce the price of most monthly passes, as well as introduce new discounts and deals on existing passes.
Beginning July 1, Metrolink will debut new fares that it says should make it easier and more affordable to plan a trip during any day of the week.
The six-month pilot program will remain in effect through the end of the year, and could be extended through 2026 if it demonstrates “strong potential to drive ridership and revenue growth for the agency,” officials said.
Among the major changes, the passenger rail service is creating a new single-day pass in the Los Angeles area that will provide unlimited trips between eight stations for only $5.
Available seven days a week, the L.A. Zone Day Pass provides unlimited same-day trips between eight stations: Los Angeles Union Station, Cal State L.A., Commerce, Montebello/Commerce, Glendale, Burbank Downtown, and both north and south stations that service the Hollywood Burbank Airport.
The new pass creates multi-dollar savings on existing roundtrip tickets, as well as providing an unlimited transfer option that would previously cost double or even triple the $5 price tag with existing passes.
Currently, a roundtrip ticket between Union Station and the Burbank airport ranges between $9-12. Roundtrips from Burbank Downtown are currently $7, and Montebello to Union Station is $8.50.
In addition to the new L.A. Zone Day Pass, changes are coming to the seasonal $15 Summer Day Pass.
Beginning in July, it will be replaced with a new pass option that’s available all year, rather than just the summer months. Dubbed the SoCal Day Pass, the single-day pass provides unlimited rides throughout the entirety of the six-county Metrolink system, priced at $15 on weekdays and now discounted to $10 on weekends.
Monthly passes are also getting an update, with Metrolink officials saying most monthly passholders will see savings of approximately 10% thanks to the new pricing model.
Other redundant and duplicative passes will be phased out to remove any confusion about the new options, Metrolink officials said, including the 7-Day Pass and 10-Day Flex Pass, as well as all roundtrip tickets — which are the equivalent of two one-way tickets.
“We’re giving our customers more without charging more,” Metrolink Board Chair Doug Chaffee said in a news release. “By making fares easier to understand and more affordable, we’re helping their hard-earned dollars go further.”
Metrolink is also creating a new discount for military veterans, matching the 10% discount available to active duty military members.
Riders under the age of 19, as well as students with a valid school ID, can get 50% off their fares. Metrolink’s extremely popular Student Adventure Pass, which provided free rides for that group, ends on June 30 following the conclusion of the pilot program.
Previously, students and teens were eligible for a 25% discount on their fares; this new discount doubles the savings to make up for the ending of the student pass.
The updated and simplified ticketing process is the latest in Metrolink’s ongoing efforts to reimagine the commuter rail service into an everyday passenger rail system as work habits change and the demand for affordable, reliable transit options grows.
Last year, the rail system unveiled a new schedule with dozens more trains and better connection times at Union Station, Metrolink’s main transit hub.
“These changes make Metrolink an even more valuable and accessible travel choice—and encourage more people to ride,” Chafee said.
Any valid Metrolink ticket can still be used to transfer for free onto the LA Metro system, and Metrolink will continue to allow up to three kids under the age of 17 to ride free on weekends alongside a fare-paying adult.
For a complete list of Metrolink discounts, click here. For more information or questions about the new passes, click here.
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