Metrolink to speed up test trains on 91/Perris Valley Line expansion

In preparation for commuter-rail service on the expansion of the 91/Perris Valley Line, Metrolink will increase the speed of its weekend test trains between downtown Riverside and south Perris, Calif., the agency announced yesterday.

The testing of Metrolink trains will replicate passenger service to finalize the upcoming 91/Perris Valley Line schedule and will occur at various speeds up to 79 mph daily along the 24-mile extension.

Construction of the 91/Perris Valley Line, which began in October 2013, will extend Metrolink commuter-rail service on the 91 Line. Led by the Riverside County Transportation Commission, the 91/PVL is the first extension of Metrolink service since the Antelope Valley Line was built in 1994.

The 91/PVL will continue rail service 24 miles from the downtown Riverside station to south Perris, with four new stations being constructed at Riverside Hunter Park, Moreno Valley/March Field, downtown Perris and south Perris.

The project also includes construction and rehabilitation of railroad tracks, upgrades of grade crossings and improvements to existing tracks.