[5][6] The Orange County Commuter made a single weekday round-trip, departing San Juan Capistrano in the morning and returning in the evening.

The plan has drawn criticism[citation needed] as many Metrolink stations are located beyond walking distance from important destinations such as Disneyland and the adjacent Anaheim Convention Center, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Irvine Spectrum.

Funds for new rolling stock and track improvements were allocated from the voter-approved Measure M half-cent sales tax, while critics[who?]

To address some of these issues, OCTA operates a series of Stationlink shuttle routes that connect Metrolink stations in Orange County to nearby destinations.

The Orange County Line runs on the BNSF Railway's Southern Transcon track between Los Angeles and Fullerton, under a shared-right-of-way agreement.

[13] With the Metrolink takeover in 1994 the southern terminus moved to Oceanside and five infill stations were subsequently added:[14] San Clemente and Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs in 1995,[15][16] Tustin and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo in 2002,[17][18] and Buena Park in 2007.