The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates the Metro Rail system in the Los Angeles County. The Metro rail system in the county has successfully completed its 20 years of operation in 2010. The system consists of two heavy rail and three light rail lines in the county.

Red Line is the first heavy rail line that runs from Downtown district to North Hollywood. The second heavy rail line is the Purple Line that runs between Downtown and Mid-Wilshire. The three light rail lines are the Blue Line that runs within Downtown from Financial District to Long Beach; the Green Line that connects Redondo Beach with Norwalk and the Gold Line that connects East Los Angeles with Pasadena.

There are 70 stations served by all five lines of the Metro Rail system in the Los Angeles County. All the lines operate for alls even days of the week, daily from 5:00 am to 12 at night. Each station has a minimum of two fare machines. If you are using the service for the first time, remember that transfer between any two lines is not free.

As per the latest records, more than 326,000 passengers use the Metro Rail system of Los Angeles County everyday. There are more than 100 park and ride facilities run by the system to make commuting easy and cheap for the daily commuters.

The base fare for using the service is $1.50 for regular passengers and $.55 for those with disability. You must collect information about Metro Rail stations, fares, timetable and other related aspects from the internet to make best out of the Metro Rail system.

During your Los Angeles California travel, availing trains can make your journeys easier.

1) Train lines in Los Angeles

http://www.metro.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County_Metro_Rail

There are 5 main train lines running through LA.

The Blue Line is an above ground line which runs between 7th Street/Metro Center station in Downtown Los Angeles and Downtown Long Beach.

The Red Line is a subway line which connects the Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles to North Hollywood.

The Green Line is a light rail line. It runs between Marine/Redondo station and the Norwalk station.

The Purple Line is also a subway line. It connects the Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles to the Wilshire/Western station in Mid-Wilshire.

The Gold Line is another light rail line which runs between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena.

2) Rail fares in Los Angeles

The base fare is $1.25. You can get a day pass for $5, a weekly pass for $17 or a monthly pass for $62.

Getting in and around Los Angeles, California is a daunting feat. Los Angeles places atop most of the Worst Traffic ranks. Yet still, people get by, around the busy streets of Los Angeles are buses, cabs and trains. Los Angeles area travel would be much easier if one would dodge the streets and take the rails instead.

Many railways weave through and pass in and out of Los Angeles. The two passenger lines are provided below, along with their home pages:

Amtrak

http://www.amtrak.com

Amtrak serves train tickets to lines leading to areas around California and the entire continental United States.

- Tickets can be booked online through their website and can be reserved up to 11 months in advance.

- Booking can be done via mobile access: http://www.amtrak.com, http://www.amtrak2go.com, or amtrak.mobi

- Through the phone, Amtrak can be reached by calling +1 213-683-6897

Ticket prices fluctuate depending on the season throughout the year. Therefore, it is best to plan and to have alternative dates and times in case the desired schedule is booked. There are special rates and packages that are available depending on the season. However, these special rates are only available by booking online.

Metrolink

http://www.metrolinktrains.com/

Metrolink serves mainly as a commuter access within the Los Angeles area. The system has seven lines; the list of all stations is detailed here:

http://www.metrolinktrains.com/stations/

Train tickets are available in vending machines across all Metrolink stations. There is a variety of types of tickets available.

- One-way ticket

- Two-way ticket (round trip from origin to destination and back)

- 10-trip ticket (the same origin and destination)

- Monthly Pass (the same origin and destination)

Pass by mail is also available if one would prefer to receive Monthly pass or 10-trip tickets at the mailbox. A specific form is submitted online through their website, or at the Metrolink ticket outlet, or by calling (800) 371-5465.