An updated mobile app that went live Thursday will make the daily commute easier and faster for thousands of passengers who transfer from Metrolink trains to the Metro system.
The two transportation agencies provide a free transfer from the Metrolink trains that run through six Southern California counties to Metro’s subways and buses that run throughout Los Angeles County, but passengers must wait in line after getting off the train to get a paper transfer pass.
Passengers who purchase their Metrolink ticket with the agency’s mobile app, which was first introduced in 2016, can now simply scan their phone while skipping the line, saving an average of five minutes a day.
“Metrolink provides a great commuter rail service for residents and passengers throughout the region, and one of their pain points has been transferring to our system,” said Stephanie Wiggins, deputy CEO of Metro. “Working together, we are now leveraging technology to make it seamless and very easy as part of Metro’s goal to transform transportation for our region.”
Metrolink’s mobile transfer app comes as Metro is developing its own mobile app that is expected to be available later this year, and Elissa Konove, deputy CEO at Metrolink, said the two agencies are working closely together to connect them once Metro’s is ready.
Konove said that about 5,000 to 6,000 commuters transfer from Metrolink trains to the Metro system every day.
“Now they can seamlessly transfer to Metro with just a scan on their phone. This is part of a technology transformation that Metrolink has been undergoing for the past year or so,” Konove said at a news conference at Union Station, where the app update was unveiled
The cost of implementing the mobile app, which included the installation of 185 scanners throughout the Metro system, was around $1.5 million that was provided through federal funding.