West Corona (Metrolink Orange County and Perris Valley/91 Lines)

West Corona Metrolink Station was one of the original two new stations that opened when Inland Empire/Orange County Line service began on October 2, 1995. The station lacked direct service to Los Angeles and was designed to serve commuters living in Riverside County going to the office parks of Orange County, signs on the westbound platform still have Irvine as the destination for the directional arrow. This changed in May 2002 when the then-named 91 line entered service between Downtown Riverside and Los Angeles Union Station following the route of Amtrak's Southwest Chief that passes through this station without stopping, and serving existing stations.

The station consists of two side platforms along the two-track BNSF Transcon line. These two platforms begin just east of the bridge over the railroad tracks of Auto Center Drive, and run east. The platforms each have 3 to 4 larger shelter structures for waiting passengers that cover benches, some have windscreens and have red Spanish-style roofs held up by stucco pillars.

All access to the station is from the south, track 2 platform. Here a driveway runs along the length of the platform that includes a Kiss and Ride and bus stop for the one Riverside Transit Agency bus connection Route 1. Behind the driveway is the station's 526 space parking lot, accessed from a driveway down from the Auto Center Drive bridge, with gates that are closed by a full time security guard overnight from 10:00pm to 4:00am. In the center of this entrance area, is a larger completely open air Spanish-style roof 'station' that has TVMs, extra benches and a central section with blue lettering that says West Corona. This blue color extends to the station's lampposts and fencing between the tracks.

To Access the north platform for Riverside-bound trains, a fully enclosed pedestrian bridge with elevators and staircases connects the two platforms, the tops of the elevator towers have Spanish style roofs and stucco walls for the elevator shafts continuing this theme. The At the eastern end of the platform is a pedestrian grade-crossing with lights and bells. This crossing is normally closed by a locked gate between the tracks, but can be opened to maintain ADA accessibility when an elevator is out of order to the pedestrian bridge.
Photos 1-39: 21 December, 2019

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Stepping off an arriving train from Los Angeles going to Riverside, this trains a special train for the Riverside Festival of Lights

Guardian fleet cars on track 1

The blur of a departing train

Guardian Fleet Cab car #683 brings up the rear of a Riverside-bound Festival of Lights special train

Blue West Corona text on the station's bridge

Looking across to the open air 'station' on the westbound platform

A light pole banner for Corona - West (the name used on timetables and the Metrolink website)

The primitive, 1st generation LED display that attempts to provide visual information on what track for the next train and updates if a train is late

The tall bridge is the station's dominating feature

Looking across to a West Corona sign with Irvine has the arrow destination

A West Corona platform sign on the Riverside platform, the blue stripe isn't standard

The very closed pedestrian grade-crossing, a locked gate and chain to keep out at the western end of the platforms

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