At a ceremony yesterday, Metro officials commenced work on a long-awaited light rail line through the heart of the San Fernando Valley.

The East San Fernando Valley line, which will run 6.7 miles within the median of Van Nuys Boulevard, will connect the G Line's Van Nuys Station and the Metrolink right-of-way in Pacoima, among other destinations. Plans call for 11 stops along the corridor, which is the first light rail service introduced in the Valley since the cessation of the Pacific Electric railway in the 1950s.

Van Nuys Metrolink StationMetro

"This marks a historic milestone for the East San Fernando Valley and the working-class communities that have waited generations for this kind of investment,” said L.A. City Councilmember and Metro board member Imelda Padilla in a news release. "As someone who grew up in the Valley, I know how much reliable public transportation means to our families. Bringing rail back to Van Nuys Boulevard after more than 70 years is about more than connecting people to jobs, schools, and essential services."

Completion of the initial segment of the East San Fernando Valley line is expected in 2032.

East San Fernando Valley Line mapMetro

A second phase of the project, originally conceived as an extension of light rail service running northwest toward Sylmar and the City of San Fernando, is instead likely to be realized through the construction of a new infill stop on Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line at Van Nuys Boulevard, where riders could transfer between the two services.

Work on the nearly $4-billion East San Fernando Valley Line also overlaps with construction of new grade separation and crossing upgrades being implemented through a more than $660-million project on the G Line busway, which cuts east-to-west across the valley between North Hollywood and Chatsworth. In the more distant future, passengers on the East San Fernando Valley Line may also be able to transfer to a heavy rail line planned through the Sepulveda Pass, which would connect the Valley to the Westside through a subway running parallel to the 405 Freeway.

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram / Bluesky