Riverside (Metrolink/BNSF) – Riverside, California, USA | Train Spotting Location

Riverside (Metrolink/BNSF) offers railfans an unusually close-up view of one of Southern California’s busiest freight corridors while also serving as an active commuter rail station, so visitors can photograph long BNSF intermodals thundering past within minutes of sleek Metrolink trains easing in for passengers—making it a rare spot where heavy freight and scheduled passenger operations share the same stage day and night.

🛤️ The Trainspotting Experience

A typical visit places you on the low island platform or the adjacent public pedestrian bridge that spans the tracks. From ground level you are only a few feet from the mainline, separated by standard platform fencing, so every passing consist delivers full sound and vibration—prime conditions for experiencing horsepower up close. Freight trains often maintain 30–40 mph through the station, while Metrolink sets brake for a gentle stop. Because three tracks run through the site (two for BNSF, one siding that Metrolink regularly uses), meets and over-takes are common; it is not unusual to witness a manifest freight rumble through while a commuter set boards passengers on the siding. Evening railfans notice the soft glow of LED platform lighting that illuminates locomotives without introducing harsh glare, useful for low-light photography. Benches and open sightlines allow you to sit comfortably yet keep an eye on distant headlights that appear first around the subtle westward curve at Martha McLean Park and from the east beyond the Santa Ana River bridge.

🌄 Landscape, Setting and Local Atmosphere

The station sits in a gentle valley carved by the Santa Ana River, about 820 ft above sea level. Surrounding views include the Box Springs Mountains to the east and the silhouettes of the Jurupa Hills to the west. Mature palms, jacarandas, and pepper trees line nearby streets, so spring visits coincide with bursts of purple blossoms that frame passing locomotives. Riverside’s semiarid climate means clear skies and low humidity most of the year; morning marine layers from the coast typically burn off by 10 a.m., leaving bright sunshine and temperatures in the 70s–90s°F from late March to October. Winter offers crisp air, snow-capped San Gabriel peaks on the northern horizon after storms, and softer midday lighting ideal for high-contrast shots.

🚂 Type and Frequency of Train Activity

• BNSF Railway: The station lies on the San Bernardino Subdivision, a critical artery linking the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach with Cajon Pass and the transcontinental network. Railfans can expect roughly 35–45 freight movements in a 24-hour period. These include doublestack intermodals, manifest freights, autoracks, and occasional unit aggregates such as ethanol or coal empties.
• Metrolink: Weekdays bring about 26 scheduled trains (91/Perris Valley Line, Inland Empire–Orange County Line, and the Riverside Line), with reduced but still regular service on weekends. Trains are usually five-car Rotem bilevel sets propelled by Tier-4 locomotives, producing a distinctive low-frequency hum on acceleration.
• Heritage Sightings: Union Pacific owns the parallel Riverside–Colton Cutoff a mile south, and UP detours sometimes use BNSF trackage rights, so catching “shield” power mixed into BNSF consists is possible.
• Amtrak: Although Amtrak no longer boards here, the Southwest Chief and occasional detoured long-distance trains pass on the UP line nearby and are audible but not visible from the platform.

📸 Best Angles for Photos and What Railfans Enjoy Most

1. Pedestrian Bridge: Elevated, unobstructed shots in both directions; sunrise lights east-facing locomotives, while golden hour after 5 p.m. backlights freights heading toward Cajon Pass, giving dramatic silhouette opportunities.
2. East End of Platform: A slight S-curve lets photographers catch trains leaning into the alignment with Box Springs Mountains as backdrop; a 70–200 mm lens captures nose-on portraits without track intrusion.
3. West Approach Embankment: From the public sidewalk on Mission Inn Avenue you can frame westbound intermodals against palm trees and downtown Riverside’s historic skyline, including the Mission Inn’s bell tower.
   Because trains vary from 3-car commuter sets to 10,000-ft intermodals, railfans relish the contrast in length and purpose—freight horns echoing off nearby buildings, followed minutes later by the whoosh of doors closing on a quiet passenger stop.

🕰️ Historical or Cultural Relevance

The original Santa Fe depot opened here in 1886, catalyzing Riverside’s rise as a citrus-shipping hub. Portions of the Mission Revival–style station façade survive on the south side of the current platforms, a nod to California’s early 20th-century railroad architecture. The line was among the first in the region to receive centralized traffic control in the 1940s, and its triple-tracking in the 1990s allowed BNSF to meet surging port traffic—an engineering upgrade that doubled capacity without relocating the historic station core.

🧭 What Makes This Spot Different from Others

Many Southern California vantage points force railfans to choose between freight density (like the Cajon Pass) and passenger convenience (urban Metrolink stops). Riverside uniquely blends the two: heavy transcontinental freight shares rails with commuter schedules in a walk-up, publicly accessible setting that does not require hiking or trespassing. The preserved depot elements and city skyline add architectural interest absent from rural mainline hot spots, while the triple-track layout yields frequent meets that keep cameras active.

📚 Additional Resources

Metrolink Official Site – Riverside‐Downtown Station
BNSF Railway – San Bernardino Subdivision Timetable
Southern California Railway Plaza Association