Free Metrolink Rides for Students
All Cal Poly Pomona students with a valid Student ID can ride Metrolink trains system-wide for free, through June 30, 2024 or until grant funds are exhausted during the pilot, with the newly launched Student Adventure Pass.
The pass allows students to take the train to school, work, or to simply go on adventures during their free time, without having to stress about transportation or parking costs.
“This program helps provide equitable access to yet another public transit option for CPP students and will help the campus reduce its carbon footprint,” said Danny Wu, executive director of Campus Planning, Transportation, and Sustainability Services. “Nearly 50 percent of the campus’ greenhouse gas emissions is generated by transportation sources, including commuting and air travel.”
In addition, trains can be used for students to explore popular Southern California destinations including downtown Los Angeles, Burbank, San Clemente, Oceanside and more.
A full list of train schedules, destinations, and stations is on Metrolink’s website.
Autumn Pinthong, a first-year mechanical engineering student, uses her Student Adventure Pass to visit her family in San Diego on the weekends via the Riverside and Orange County lines.
“My favorite part about the pass is that it’s free,” Pinthong said. “I was struggling to financially justify gas to visit home in San Diego regularly, but with Metrolink, I can just get on a train in the afternoon at no cost and get home by the evening.”
Jacob Badillo, a second-year landscape architecture student, uses the pass for commuting to CPP from Redlands and also to his workplace in Glendora. He plans to utilize the pass to attend off-campus field trips required for his architecture classes.
“I no longer have to worry about the cost of getting to school,” Badillo said. “It provides a peace of mind and allows me to focus more on my school and work life.”
While the Metrolink doesn’t have a Cal Poly Pomona station, students can ride the Metrolink to commute to campus. They would stop at the Pomona North train station and then transfer to the free Bronco Pomona North Metrolink Shuttle or take a Foothill Transit bus (utilizing their free Foothill Transit Class Pass) to get to CPP.
Using the Student Adventure Pass is simple. CPP students can download the Metrolink app and self-enroll with their CPP email address. They will receive a link in their email to verify their account and be given instructions on how to proceed.
After their account is verified, the student will receive their mobile ticket wallet automatically, typically within 24 hours.
To ride the train, students will activate the pass in their mobile wallet and present their Bronco ID card to verify their student status.
Students also have the option to access a paper ticket by selecting the Student/Youth rider type and for Round-trip tickets only at ticket vending machines located at any Metrolink station.
The Student Adventure Pass program is a pilot program that is directly administered by Metrolink and funded by a state Low Carbon Transit Operations Program grant. The pilot’s long-term aims include decreasing California’s greenhouse gas emissions and improving transportation for college students.