Today the Metro board unanimously approved building run-through tracks at downtown L.A.'s Union Station. The project is called Link US.
"[Link US] is a critically important project," Boardmember Ara Najarian emphasized, "not just for the city, the county, the entire region and state."
The critically important project has already had a long and tortured history. Link US will greatly expand the efficiency of Union Station by transforming dead-end stub tracks to run-through tracks. The project will benefit train riders on Amtrak, Metrolink, and future California High-Speed Rail.
To acquire needed rail property just southeast of Union Station, Metro brokered a deal with BNSF to expand their Malabar railyard in the city of Vernon. The city of Vernon opposes this deal. Vernon representatives commented last week and today against the mitigation arrangements; Vernon lawyers threatened to sue to block Link US.
Today the board approved a motion, authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, to continue to work with all the parties to try to come to an acceptable agreement. The board nonetheless approved moving forward with Link US, officially certifying the project's Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (Final SEIR).
Metro staff noted that there is one more approval needed. The CA High-Speed Rail Authority, which is funding a signification portion of the project, needs to approve the revised project scope.
Metro expects "early construction" to get underway in Spring 2026. The initial ~$3 billion project phase includes building a new nearly half-mile-long elevated rail structure crossing over and running along the 101 Freeway.
Today the Metro board also approved funds for two additional projects that many Streetsblog readers are following:
- The board approved an additional $154 million for the four-mile section 1 of the D Line subway extension through Mid-City Los Angeles. This brings the total section cost to $3.51 billion, and keeps the first new D Line section on target to open in early 2026.
- The board approved an additional $1.3 million to meet a construction budget shortfall for L.A. City to complete the E Line bike/walk path through Cheviot Hills. The project is known as the Northvale Gap.
This post was revised October 23 at 6 p.m., including a clarification that "early construction" is expected to start next Spring.
