The train station that will eventually connect the region’s Metro rail system to the people mover train serving the terminals at Los Angeles International Airport is slated to open this November.
That’s according to a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority staff report provided last month to the agency’s board of directors. The July 18 report is actually a request for Metro to hire scores of additional staff to serve and provide security for the new $900 million station.
The station, known as the LAX Metro Transit Center, was designed by the downtown Los Angeles studio of London-based Grimshaw Architects; Sylmar-based Tutor Perini Corp. is serving as the prime construction contractor.
Originally, the station was designed to open in tandem with the 2.2-mile-long LAX people mover line. But the automated people mover project has faced repeated delays – most recently due to a dispute between the construction consortium and Los Angeles World Airports – that have pushed back its opening to January 2026. The people mover project cost has also ballooned to more than $3.3 billion.
To bridge the 14-month gap between the opening of the LAX Metro Transit Center and the opening of the people mover, Metro staff in the board report indicated there will be “temporarily continual bus shuttle services into LAX.”
When it opens, the Metro airport connector facility will include the largest light rail platform in the Metro rail system. It will serve both the new K Line (formerly the Crenshaw-LAX line) and the nearly 30-year-old C Line (formerly the Green line) and connect to the LAX people mover line.
Outside of the station proper, the facility will include a 16-bay bus plaza, a multi-level active transportation/bike hub, and a private vehicle drop-off zone that will include a lot for Uber, Lyft and other rideshare operators.
“The LAX/Metro Transit Center is unique to the Metro system and is parallel only to Union Station, as it brings bus, rail and (other) active transportation modes into one hub,” the staff report stated. “The center will attract commuters, leisure customers, and travelers journeying through LAX. It is expected to be a critical asset for upcoming major events such as the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
