Written on 18^th April 2018

LAX "People Mover" Train Approved

Los Angeles City Council, unanimously voted to approve a 30-year $4.9B contract with LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Automated People Mover (APM) train system at Los Angeles International Airport(LAX).

The Los Angeles’ Metro system’s Green Line was originally supposed to extend to LAX, but that never happened due to disagreements about the location of the airport station and concerns that the elevated rail line would interfere with airport operations.

However, the proposed automated “People Mover” rail line that would link three of LAX’s terminals would also extend to a Metro rail station at 96th Street and Aviation Boulevard, about ten minutes from the airport. The "People Mover" also would have a station at planned rental-car and taxi/shuttle hubs.

By connecting to the Metro’s Crenshaw Line, now under construction, LAX travellers would be able to reach downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Pasadena, and other communities now linked by Metro rail.

LAX has been ranked one of the most difficult airports in the US to reach, with a trip from downtown averaging 33 minutes by bus and 55 minutes by private car. A one-way Uber ride from downtown to LAX costs about $40, according to Travelbank.

"The new Automated People Mover will transform the LAX experience for travelers by removing the frustration of the tangled traffic inside the horseshoe,” said Councilman Joe Buscaino, Chair of the LA City Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee. The train is expected to begin service in March 2023.