Metrolink Train Evacuation
Metrolink Train Carrying 500 Passengers Evacuated in Anaheim Hills After Mechanical Power Loss
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Key Points
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The power loss on the stalled train occurred because the locomotive provides electrical power to the passenger cars, so when it failed, the entire train lost power and could not safely disembark at the initial stop.
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Passengers with valid fares were offered a redeemable $50 Uber voucher to help them get to their destinations while awaiting a replacement train.
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A replacement train (Train 1752) was dispatched but canceled in Riverside, with Riverside Transit Agency buses arranged to carry riders the remainder of the way to San Bernardino; a relief train arrived around 5:30 p.m., and the scene was cleared around 7:30 p.m.
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Orangethorpe Avenue was closed in both directions, creating a major traffic disruption as police directed traffic and helped evacuate passengers, with responders also providing water to those affected.
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A separate Sunday incident in Anaheim Hills involved more than 100 evacuees from a northbound Metrolink train, with reports that emergency exit windows were removed in at least one car to improve airflow as riders exited along the right-of-way amid rising temperatures.
A Metrolink train carrying about 500 passengers stalled on the tracks in Anaheim Hills on Saturday afternoon, triggering a full evacuation and closing a major street for hours. The train, traveling from Oceanside to San Bernardino, lost power around 4:40 p.m. between the Anaheim Canyon and Corona West stations, according to CBS News and The San Bernardino Sun.
With the locomotive dead, the entire train lost electricity — including air conditioning. As temperatures inside the cars climbed, passengers were walked off the train and onto the right-of-way. Some were treated for heat-related symptoms. The scene was not fully cleared until around 7:30 p.m., nearly three hours after the breakdown.
How a Dead Locomotive Left 500 Riders Stranded
On Metrolink trains, the locomotive powers the entire consist — including lights, doors, and air conditioning in every passenger car. When the engine failed Saturday, all of that went dark at once. That also meant the train could not safely pull forward to a station platform, leaving passengers stuck on the open tracks, The San Bernardino Sun reported.
Anaheim police and fire crews responded to the scene near Orangethorpe Avenue. Officers closed Orangethorpe in both directions and directed traffic while crews handed out water to passengers waiting in the heat. The evacuation moved riders off the train and away from the tracks on foot before transport options could be arranged, according to OC Register.
$50 Uber Vouchers and a Bus Convoy to San Bernardino
Metrolink offered stranded passengers with valid fares a $50 Uber voucher while they waited, Head Top Topics reported. A replacement train — designated Train 1752 — was dispatched but was ultimately canceled in Riverside. From there, Riverside Transit Agency buses took over, carrying riders the rest of the way to San Bernardino.
A relief train did arrive at the scene around 5:30 p.m. to begin moving passengers. The last riders were cleared by about 7:30 p.m. The disruption hit the Inland Empire-Orange County Line — a key weekend corridor linking coastal San Diego County communities to the heart of the Inland Empire.
Sunday Brought a Second Evacuation in the Same Stretch
The Saturday breakdown was not an isolated event. On Sunday, a separate Metrolink train — this one northbound — also stalled in Anaheim Hills, forcing more than 100 passengers to evacuate. Crews removed emergency exit windows from at least one car to improve airflow as riders exited along the right-of-way, according to The Press Enterprise.
Two breakdowns in the same general area over back-to-back days pointed to broader reliability problems on that stretch of the network. Both incidents drew multiple responding agencies and left riders walking along the tracks in rising heat — raising questions about weekend service readiness on one of Southern California's busiest commuter rail lines.
Traffic Chaos on Orangethorpe as Agencies Coordinated Response
Beyond the train itself, Saturday's breakdown rippled out into the surrounding neighborhood. Orangethorpe Avenue — a busy east-west arterial in Anaheim Hills — was shut down in both directions as police worked the scene. Drivers faced significant delays while officers directed traffic around the closure, OC Register reported.
The multi-agency response included Anaheim police, Anaheim fire crews, Metrolink staff, and Riverside Transit Agency drivers. Coordinating buses, a relief train, Uber vouchers, and traffic control across that stretch took the better part of the evening. By nightfall, most riders had reached their destinations — just hours later than planned.
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