LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles-area transit system achieved a major milestone June 6 with the long-awaited opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Center station, bringing rail service the closest it has ever been to Los Angeles International Airport and giving travelers a new car-free option for reaching the airport.
The new station, located just east of LAX, will eventually provide a direct connection to the still-under-construction LAX People Mover system, which will take travelers into the airport terminal area. The People Mover is expected to open later this year or in early 2026. Until then, travelers will be able to connect with free airport shuttle buses at the new transit station to reach the terminals. Those shuttles run every 10 minutes.
“We finally have a beautiful, modern, reliable rail connection to LAX,” said county Supervisor Janice Hahn, who also chairs the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Hahn joked that having a rail station so close to the airport will help prevent residents from hearing some notoriously “terrifying words.”
“Here in L.A., we know those terrifying words have always been, ‘Hey, can you give me a ride to LAX?’”
Hahn was among the local dignitaries who attended the ribbon-cutting event, along with fellow county Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts. Former Mayors Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa also were among those in attendance.
“The opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Center is a major step forward in how we prepare Los Angeles to welcome the world,” Mayor Bass said. “This is about more than bringing people to and from the airport — it’s about building a more connected, reliable and climate-conscious city for Angelenos and for the millions who will visit in the years ahead.”
“Not only is LAX one of the busiest airports in the world, it’s also an important job center for Angelenos, particularly for residents of South Los Angeles,” Mitchell said. “The LAX/Metro Transit Center Station will serve an important role for visitors, residents and our vital airport-area employees.”
The station officially opened to the public at 5 p.m.
To celebrate the station’s opening, the MTA offered free fares across its rail and bus systems throughout the weekend.
“For more than half a century, Angelenos have been dreaming about a rail connection to LAX Airport — and that day has finally come,” said MTA CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “Our LAX/Metro Transit Center Station not only enhances the travel experience for millions of visitors to Los Angeles but also serves as a key piece of our ongoing efforts to build a more sustainable and efficient transportation network for our city.”
The MTA bills the new station as a multi-modal transportation hub along the K Line that will provide greater access between Redondo Beach and the E Line at Crenshaw Boulevard.
The K Line currently runs between the Redondo Beach Station and the Aviation/Century Station. With the LAX Station still under construction, northbound K Line passengers had to board a shuttle bus to reach the K Line’s Westchester station, where they could again board the train and travel through Inglewood and ultimately to the E Line.
With the opening of the LAX Station, the K Line will run seamlessly from Redondo Beach to the E Line, including a stop at the LAX Station.
The C (Green) Line, which previously ran between Norwalk and Redondo Beach, now has its western terminus at the Aviation/Century Station, where passengers can transfer to the K Line to continue south to Redondo Beach.
The C Line now runs between Norwalk and the new LAX Station.
The new LAX station also includes a multilevel bicycle hub with secured parking and a pedestrian plaza, as well as an area for passenger vehicle pick-up and drop-off. The facility also has a 16-bay bus plaza.
