The seemingly never-ending saga of the LAX Automated People Mover, the 2.25-mile elevated train that’s set to become the first public transit option (buses aside) into and out of LAX, is finally coming to a close—sort of.
Part of a larger $30 billion revamping of the airport as a whole, the project was just allocated $400 million to settle legal claims over construction of the automated airport train. Although officials are still waiting on some final sign-offs and approvals, the People Mover is now expected to finally be completed by December 8, 2025 and in full operation by January of 2026.
Originally, the transportation system was expected to be completed last year, then this year and then seemingly sometime next year. That ship has, clearly, sailed—despite the fact that the project is actually 95% complete.
“We are building it on land that Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) does not own, we are interacting with other agencies that we have no control over, and there are sometimes unforeseen problems on projects of this complexity,” LAWA Chief Executive John Ackerman said to the Los Angeles Times, referencing the various disputes between the airport and the contractors over “timing, production and compensation.”
According to officials, once the train is actually in operation—on paper, in time for the 2026 World Cup and a couple of years before the 2028 Olympics—travelers will be able to make use of it 24/7. During peak service hours, trains will run every two minutes between 9am and 11pm.
As Angelenos are very well aware of, the traffic situation at the airport clearly needs to be addressed. In addition to the People Mover, officials hope that a new Metro station set to open at Aviation and 96th this November and car rental operations at the new facility will ease the flow of traffic and make it easier to actually get into and out of the hub.
“We’re going to take 42 million vehicle miles a year off of Los Angeles roads,” Ackerman said to the Times. “I think that’s a tremendous accomplishment, and it’s going to make a difference in the lives of Angelenos.” Let’s hope Ackerman is actually right.