The masterminds behind Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Music Festival have been hard at work with the Riverside County Traffic Commission, and they have a new $1.2 million convenience plan in the works for local residents and festival goers for the 2017 and 2018 festival seasons.
According to Transit and Air Quality Officials, a new special Coachella and Stagecoach focused train service will help alleviate the infamous festival caused traffic jams, and help lower air pollution caused by the influx of the 198,000 visitors to the area. Amtrak trains are currently being planned to run from Los Angeles to the Empire Polo Club in Indio for these festivals, for at least the next two years.
Although there are no announcements yet in regards to ticket prices, round-trip schedules, or possible stops along the way, if you are planning on attending either of these festivals in the next couple of years, you should definitely keep an eye out for further developments. The convenience of skipping the long, rubbernecking, and almost never ending lines of vehicles in anticipation to get to the fun at the end of the convoy will most likely be unforgoable (?).
“The trains will run from L.A. Union Station to Indio, where folks will either be bused directly to the site or go via taxi or other means to their respective hotels,” said Greg Pettis, chair of the committee for Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Committee.
Other large events in the area, such as Dodger games and Fontana Speedway races have warranted special run train services in the past, and while there is no passenger train platform in Indio as of yet, the RCTC will build a temporary one just for Coachella and Stagecoach attendees.
Additionally, “Price has yet to be determined but we want it to be cost effective vs driving, traffic, and time considerations,” Pettis said.
