COST: $1.6 billion
CONSTRUCTION START: Late 2026
CONSTRUCTION FINISH: Not firmly established, but some revenue operations could begin as early as 2031
PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR: Flatiron Dragados, a subsidiary of Madrid-based Grupo ACS/Hochtief
With downtown L.A.’s Union Station turning into the major hub for multiple rail systems in Southern California – including Metro Rail, Metrolink and Amtrak and possibly high-speed rail – the $1.6 billion Link Union Station project aims to expand and modernize the tracks leading into and out of the station. Currently, most of the tracks have dead ends – or “stubs” – at the station, forcing departing trains to double-back on their entrance routes to continue on their journey.
The Link Union Station project, which is being overseen by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro, will create 10 “run-through” tracks that will merge onto a new bridge crossing over the 101 Freeway. The project still needs approval from the California High Speed Rail Authority, and it faces opposition from the city of Vernon over related alterations to a nearby rail yard operated by Texas-based BNSF Railway.
Pre-construction work is expected to start in the spring.
