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Metrolink will let anyone ride its trains free on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, for California Clean Air Day, according to the agency’s Clean Air Day page. Riders can board any Metrolink or Arrow train at any station without a ticket and ride as many times as they like that day.
Several connecting bus and rail systems are waiving fares the same day, which turns one free train into a free Southern California day out. Anyone planning a weekday around a Los Angeles itinerary can use Oct. 7 to test the rail network without buying a pass.
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, all day.
- Metrolink: free on every line and on the Arrow service, no ticket needed.
- Not included: Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, even on routes Metrolink shares.
- Free connections: LA Metro, OC Bus, Riverside Transit and several county systems.
- Other regions: Santa Barbara County buses, Ventura County Coastal Express and Sacramento transit.
What Metrolink Is Waiving
Metrolink announced the free day on Sept. 30 and said it covers its 545-mile, six-county system, including the Arrow service between San Bernardino and Redlands. MyNewsLA reported that the agency tied the offer to gas prices, with AAA putting the statewide average for regular at $6.39 that week, up more than $1.70 from a year earlier.
The offer is for trains only on Metrolink’s own page. It says the free ride does not apply to Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, so a traveler headed to San Diego or Santa Barbara on a Surfliner ticket still pays the usual fare.
Connecting Systems Also Waiving Fares
Metrolink’s page lists LA Metro bus and rail, San Bernardino County transit including Omnitrans, Ventura County transit, Riverside Transit and Orange County transit including OC Bus as free on Oct. 7. MyNewsLA also named North County Transit District in San Diego County among the agencies planning to waive fares, though riders should confirm trip details with each agency.
Pasadena Transit and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride will also be free that day, and Colorado Boulevard reported that Metro and Foothill Transit are joining the regionwide effort.
Free Rides Beyond Southern California
In Santa Barbara County, the county association of governments says Clean Air Express, Santa Barbara MTD, Santa Ynez Valley Transit, Lompoc Transit and Santa Maria Regional Transit will all run free all day, according to its release posted by the Santa Barbara Independent. Microtransit and paratransit are not included, and the Ventura County Transportation Commission is also making its Coastal Express free.
Sacramento Regional Transit is offering fare-free fixed-route bus and light rail, but its Clean Air Day page says riders need a “Ride Transit” flyer, which they can print or show as a screenshot. The same page warns that Blue Line trains pass through Fruitridge Station without stopping on Oct. 7 because of construction, with a bus bridge between City College, Fruitridge and 47th Ave. stations.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ride Metrolink or Arrow on Oct. 7 | Board without a ticket and skip the weekday SoCal Day Pass, which costs $19 under the fares that took effect Oct. 5. |
| Hold a Pacific Surfliner ticket | Keep it, because the free offer does not apply to Amtrak trains. |
| Connect to LA Metro, OC Bus or Riverside Transit | Expect free bus and rail that day, and check each agency’s page for the details. |
| Ride in Sacramento | Carry the “Ride Transit” flyer, and plan around the Fruitridge bus bridge. |
| Travel on Oct. 8 or later | Pay regular fares again, including the new weekday and weekend day pass prices. |
Pairing It With the Fare Change
The free day arrives two days after Metrolink raised one-way fares and set the SoCal Day Pass at $19 on weekdays and $12 on weekends and holidays, as covered in our report on the Oct. 5 fare change. Metrolink also offers free rides on Transit Equity Day in February and Earth Day in April, so Oct. 7 is one of several fare-free days in the year.
Neither the Metrolink announcement nor its Clean Air Day page mentions extra trains for the day. Check the regular Wednesday timetable before building a trip around a specific departure.
Oct. 5 is the fare gate. New one-way and day pass prices apply from that Monday, so any ticket bought before Oct. 7 is a cost the free day does not refund.
Oct. 7 is the free day. Plan a Metrolink, LA Metro or OC Bus trip that day, and carry the flyer if you are riding in Sacramento.
Oct. 8 is the return to regular fares. Buy tickets again on the usual channels, and remember Pacific Surfliner fares were never part of the offer.
Do I need a ticket for Metrolink on Oct. 7?
No. Metrolink says riders can board any Metrolink or Arrow train at any station without a ticket and ride unlimited times that day.
Are Pacific Surfliner trains free on Clean Air Day?
No. Metrolink’s page says the free ride offer does not apply to Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains.
Which bus and rail systems are free the same day?
Metrolink lists LA Metro, San Bernardino County transit, Ventura County transit, Riverside Transit and Orange County transit, and local agencies in Pasadena, Santa Barbara County and Sacramento have announced their own free rides.
Do paratransit and microtransit ride free in Santa Barbara County?
No. The county association of governments says microtransit and paratransit services are not included in its free fares.
