The Los Angeles International Airport Regulatory Board voted Thursday to allocate an additional $400 million to resolve legal claims regarding the long-awaited automated people mover train.
Approval from the Los Angeles World Airports Commission clears the way for the delayed project to complete construction ahead of final approval from the Los Angeles City Council. Officials expect the train to be completed by December 8, 2025 and enter service in January 2026.
LAWA chief executive John Ackerman said he was confident the task would be completed on time, but warned those dates were not specific.
“We’re building it on land that LAWA doesn’t own, we’re interacting with other agencies that we have no control over, and sometimes unforeseen problems arise with projects like this,” Ackerman said.
The 2.25-mile elevated train is expected to be completed in 2024 in preparation for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games. Although the project is about 95% complete, disputes between the airport and contractor LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) over scheduling, production and compensation have caused significant delays.
Ackerman said everyone involved now calls every week to address issues as they arise so they don’t “fester and expand.”
The project is part of a $30 billion overhaul of one of the world’s busiest airports. Officials said the new funding would be drawn from reserves and increase the people mover’s budget from $2.9 billion to $3.34 billion.
The funds approved include $50 million in emergency funding, which may not be used in full or at all.
LAX’s current operations see hundreds of thousands of passengers and employees entering and exiting the airport’s congested horseshoe loop every week without any public transportation alternatives like most major airports.
Transportation experts and airport officials expect the people mover system to significantly reduce traffic by easily connecting to subways and new integrated rental car facilities and parking lots.
The new LAX/Metro transfer station at Aviation and 96th will open in November, and car rental company Avis expects to begin operations at the new facility in August, Ackerman said.
“We’re going to take 42 million vehicle miles off Los Angeles roads every year. I think that’s a huge accomplishment and it’s going to change the lives of Angelenos,” he said.
“When I got here, I was told that the easiest way to lose a friend in Los Angeles was to have the friend drive to LAX on a Friday night. … This is something we need to address.
Once operational, the train will operate 24/7, running every two minutes during peak hours from 9am to 11pm. Thousands of passengers.
It is hoped that if more people take advantage of trains and reduce the number of journeys to and from the airport, traffic congestion will be alleviated – a possibility that could have knock-on effects across the city.
