I just received this email from a friend in the RR business.

All-

It troubles me greatly that Metrolink is considering the elimination of
several morning and afternoon frequencies on the Ventura County Line (among
others, see attached). When I received this news, I was riding on a
relatively full Train #103-- one of trains on the list.

If all the cuts go through as proposed, Northridge Station (which services
Cal-State University Northridge as well as the large Northridge Medical
Center) would see a total of TWO morning trains from Los Angeles (one of
which would be the dual-personality Amtrak #799) and only ONE inbound
afternoon/evening train.

Burbank Airport would see its service cut almost in HALF. Downtown Burbank
(which is utilized by employees at Disney, Warner Brothers, and NBC Studios,
among others) would see a reduction of 10 trains-- mostly morning trains
originating in Los Angeles and afternoon/evening trains heading "inbound"
toward Union Station.

It has been my observation that many passengers who ride "outbound" in the
morning actually begin their trips heading "inbound" from points on other
lines. I often wonder if Metrolink fully comprehends how Union Station has
become a way-point for a substantial number of their passengers. Even
though it may be preferable to dismiss the morning outbound frequencies as
"re-positioning" moves, these short "reverse trips" are vital to those who
connect at Union, enabling these passengers connect to "long" trips
elsewhere in the system.

In the end, of course, the question comes down to funding. How, ultimately,
does Metrolink find the money to continue operating the entire system?