As they say - better late than never.

After a projected November 2024 debut did not come to pass, Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn announced this week that the long-awaited LAX/Metro Transit Center Station will open for passengers on June 6.

“The wait is nearly over, Los Angeles,” said Hahn in a statement. “At long last, we are getting a train to LAX. And when the LAX People Mover finally opens, we will truly have an international airport that connects people from inside the terminals to the world beyond through Metro. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard on making this happen, and see you at the opening on June 6.”

Bird's eye view of 96th Street stationGrimshaw Architects

The station, which spans a 9.5-acre site at 96th Street and Aviation Boulevard, abuts the K Line's vehicle maintenance and storage facility and the easternmost LAX Intermodal Transportation Facility. Grimshaw Architects designed the station, which will serve Metro's K and C Lines, as well as buses.

The complex includes:

  • a 16-bay bus plaza with capacity for charging infrastructure;
  • a multi-level active transportation and bike hub;
  • a vehicle drop-off zone;
  • a customer service center;
  • public toilet facilities beyond the fare paid zone;
  • commercial space; and
  • a sculpture by Los Angeles artist Glenn Kaino in the station's hub structure.

View of the planned light rail platformsGrimshaw Architects

As its name indicates, one of the key functions for the station is as a transfer point between Metro rail and LAX's new automated people mover system, which would take passengers to the airport's central terminal area. That approximately 2.25-mile elevated train has undergone numerous delays, and is now on track for completion the tail end of 2026. In the more distant future, the station could serve as an endpoint for other regional transportation lines, such as the planned rail line along the Sepulveda corridor and a proposed bus rapid transit line along Lincoln Boulevard.

The opening of the LAX station will serve as a final step in the completion of the initial phase of the K Line. Passengers have not been able to travel between Aviation/Century and Westchester/Veterans Stations since the debut of the K Line in 2022 due to ongoing work for the transit hub.

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