Health & Safety
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At Metrolink safety is our foundational value. As the world continues to change around us, the work we must do to protect your safety evolves and expands. Here is how we protect our riders – from added cleaning staff to enhanced cleaning tech — and how you can contribute – from giving fellow riders space to wearing face masks.
Enhanced Cleaning
We enhanced cleaning and other safety procedures on our trains and at the locations where our employees work.
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We installed new, state-of-the-art antimicrobial air filters on all our train cars to ensure the air passengers breathe throughout their journey is safe and clean. They improve the air flow aboard our trains and destroy 99.9% of impurities including bacteria and viruses.
- We updated our nightly deep train cleaning routine to include disinfecting high touchpoint surfaces such as doors, restrooms, headrests, armrests, handrails, tables and trash areas.
- We added more staff that performs touch-point cleaning on our passenger cars more frequently throughout the day.
- We use electrostatic sprayers that apply nontoxic disinfectant on all areas of our passenger cars every day.
- We doubled the number of hand sanitizer stations available to two in every car on every train.
- And every day we disinfect the locations where our essential employees work – including crew bases, dispatch centers and the downtown office.
Ride Smart, Ride Safe
When riding our trains, please follow guidelines to reduce the possibility of infection transmission, flatten the curve, and protect the most at-risk members of our communities. For example:
- At stations and onboard trains, wearing a face mask is optional.
- Give your fellow riders plenty of space to enter and exit the train.
- Use our onboard hand sanitizer, and wash your hands as soon as you reach your destination.
- For contactless ticketing, download the Metrolink mobile app to buy, store and show your ticket.
FAQ - Cleaning
In 2020, Metrolink took immediate action to protect against the spread of this disease including ramping up cleaning practices on our trains:
- Increased the number of cleaning staff so passenger cars are cleaned more frequently throughout the day. And the crew base has accelerated cleaning trains from every other day to every day.
- Adjusted cleaning protocol to include “touch point sanitation,” which includes disinfecting and wiping down surfaces such as doors, restrooms, head and armrests, handrails, tables and trash areas using disinfecting products.
- Ensured hand sanitizers on board all trains are filled more often
Metrolink is also enlisting the help of Metrolink riders to keep themselves and others safe by encouraging them to do the following:
- Reminding them to stay at home if they are sick.
- Wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues – then throw away the tissues and wash hands. If no tissues are available, cough or sneeze into their elbow – not their hands.
- Clean and disinfect items and surfaces they touch frequently
- Avoid touching their face, mouth, nose and eyes.
- Practice simple physical distancing techniques, e.g., verbal salutations instead of handshakes, maintaining six feet of distance between each other, when possible, etc.
Metrolink took immediate action to protect against the spread of the virus including ramping up cleaning practices on our trains:
- Increased the number of cleaning staff so passenger cars are cleaned more frequently throughout the day. And the maintenance facilities have accelerated cleaning trains from every other day to every day.
- Adjusted cleaning protocols to include “touch point sanitation,” which includes disinfecting and wiping down surfaces such as doors, restrooms, head and armrests, handrails, tables and trash areas using disinfecting products.
- Ensured that hand sanitizers on board all trains are filled more often
Metrolink is also enlisting the help of Metrolink riders to keep themselves and others safe by encouraging riders to do the following:
- If you are sick, stay home.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues – then throw away the tissues and wash your hands. If no tissues are available, cough or sneeze into your elbow – not your hands.
- Clean and disinfect items and surfaces you touch frequently.
- Avoid touching their face, mouth, nose and eyes.
- Practice simple physical distancing techniques, including keeping six feet of space between yourself and others, using verbal salutations instead of handshakes and more.
Metrolink installed new, state-of-the-art antimicrobial air filters on all its train cars. The PuraShield filters capture and destroy 99.9% of airborne microbials through a high-efficiency fiber treated with a patented antimicrobial technology. The proprietary technology involves copper and silver ions that jointly attack viral and bacterial cells, weakening the cell walls, then sterilizing, suffocating and starving the pathogens.
The new filters work with Metrolink’s Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, which itself is another protective layer. Intake vents draw in outside air through the HVAC system, which then distributes the filtered air through the cars. Through this process, the filters screen out and kill not only viral and bacterial particles, but biological and atmosphere odors.
Prior to COVID-19, Metrolink had sanitizer stations on every train – but not every car. In a COVID-19 Customer Survey, riders identified hand sanitizers on all train cars as their top desired onboard amenity. Now, hand sanitizing stations are available near each door of every train car, so passengers can use them when entering and exiting at either end of its train cars.
Hand sanitizing stations are available near each door of every train car, so passengers can use them when entering and exiting at either end of its train cars.
No. However, health officials recommend people use hand sanitizer when they are unable to wash our hands with soap and water. So Metrolink made hand sanitizer readily available for those who want to use it and do not have their own.
The hand sanitizers are refilled by our Clean Care Crew as they disinfect and clean trains throughout the day. If you see an empty hand sanitizer, please note the car number and inform the conductor or call or text 800-371-5465 (LINK).
Metrolink implemented enhanced cleaning protocols at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak to help protect against the spread of the virus. Enhanced cleaning protocols include:
- Nightly deep cleaning of trains includes touch-point cleaning and wiping using EPA-approved disinfectant.
- Daily use of an electrostatic sprayer that fogs the entire car – including hard-to-reach areas – with hospital-grade disinfectant.
Throughout the day, the new Metrolink Clean Care Crew performs touch-point cleaning and disinfection of regularly-touched surfaces – including doors, handrails, head rests, arm rests, tables, restrooms and trash areas
FAQ - Face Masks on Train
No, face masks are no longer required on board Metrolink trains or at our stations. Effective, September 23, 2022, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health issued a Health Officer Order to note that masking is strongly recommended, but no longer required when using public transit or at indoor transportation hubs in all public transit within LA County.
Metrolink conductors have been instructed to require that the passenger exit the train when it is safe to do so and immediately isolate the car by relocating nearby passengers. As soon as the passenger has disembarked the train, the Metrolink Clean Care Crew will thoroughly disinfect the affected car at the destination end point.