Octa's transportation blog

Friendship and Romance Blossom on Metrolink Commute

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’d like to share the story of two Metrolink commuters who found true love on the train.

They weren’t expecting romance.

After all, it was just a standard weekday commute on the Metrolink train from Riverside to downtown Los Angeles. An hour and a half to relax and read, study, catch up on work, nap, or…clip coupons.

Which is what Elise was doing when her future husband commented on her coupon binder. A few snappy verbal exchanges later, a relationship began.

“I met my wonderful man, Houston, during a chance encounter on a Metrolink train while commuting to work,” explained Elise in her blog. “He interjected his opinion in a conversation, I got sassy, and the rest is history.”

That history included engagement photos at beautiful and iconic Union Station, where the historic architecture formed a striking backdrop.

“It seemed only fitting that we take our engagement photos at the place where our love story started: Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles,” wrote Elise.

Now that they’re married, the couple still commutes on the Riverside line. “We both commute on Metrolink to save time and money,” Elise said. “It’s impractical to drive to downtown Los Angeles from Riverside County every day. Riding the train allows us to work on other things: my bachelor's degree, the blog, or a nap!”

There are many wonderful relationships waiting on Metrolink journeys. “When you ride the Metrolink five days a week, the other riders become your train family,” explained Elise. “We have birthday parties on the train, celebrate when someone buys a home, graduations, babies, etc. When you spend 10+ hours a week with those people, it is best to make friends and enjoy the company. The long commute allowed Houston and me to get to know each other and develop a really solid friendship before we started dating.”

Metrolink is Southern California's premier regional passenger rail system serving more than 55 stations across the region, with 11 stations conveniently located in Orange County. In addition to weekday connections to business and transportation hubs across a five-county region spanning Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura, Metrolink also links to wonderful destinations for weekend adventures. With a $10 Metrolink Weekend Day Pass, you get unlimited travel on Saturday or Sunday wherever Metrolink travels – Hollywood, Chinatown, the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, and more. Other discounts are available.