Balboa was the southernmost route of the Pacific Electric Railway, running between Downtown Los Angeles and the Balboa Peninsula in Orange County by way of North Long Beach, though the route was later cut back to the Newport Dock. The route ran “flyer” service between Downtown Los Angeles and Willowville (a route also served by the Long Beach Line), making flag stops only at Vernon, Slauson, Watts, Compton and Dominguez Junction. Though ridership early on was very high, it slowly dwindled to 55,390 in 1948. Today, the beach route between Long Beach and Balboa is heavily trafficked, and plans to revive rail service along this corridor have been proposed sporadically.
