The new station will improve transportation to and from Los Angeles International Airport. (photo by Aurelia Ventura, Metro)

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority held an opening ceremony on June 6 for the LAX/Metro Transit Center station. Metro is preparing to welcome fans from around the world to Los Angeles for major upcoming events such as FIFA World Cup 26, Super Bowl LXI and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“The wait is over, Los Angeles,” Metro Board Chair and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, 4th District, said. “At long last, we are getting a train to LAX. And when the Automated People Mover finally opens, we will truly have an international airport that connects people from inside the terminals to the world beyond through Metro.”

The grand opening of this station marks the eighth project completed in Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ‘28 initiative, a comprehensive plan to enhance the region’s transit infrastructure before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The LAX/Metro Transit Center Station will play a crucial role in the movement of athletes, officials and spectators during the global sporting events.

The state-of-the-art transit center embodies a large-scale open station concept, with continuous swooping canopies guiding users’ views through large open spaces. The station reinforces intuitive wayfinding and walking access to buses and light rail trains, and the Los Angeles World Airports Automated People Mover, scheduled to open in 2026.

“The opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Center is a major step forward in how we prepare Los Angeles to welcome the world. 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,” Metro Board member and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. “I want to congratulate L.A. Metro for this accomplishment and look forward to their continued partnership.”

Located at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street, the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station connects Metro’s C and K rail lines, six Metro bus lines and eight municipal bus lines, including Beach Cities, Big Blue Bus, Culver City Bus, GTrans, Torrance Transit and Los Angeles World Airports shuttles to and from the terminals. By providing a direct connection to regional transit, the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station expands options for airport-area employees and travelers and decreases reliance on more costly options such as taxis, ride-hailing cars and private vehicles.

“For more than half a century, Angelenos have been dreaming about a rail connection to LAX airport – and that day has finally come. 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,” Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said. “We look forward to welcoming millions of Angelenos and visitors to the LAX/Metro Transit Center in the coming months and years, and we can’t wait for the final link in the chain – LAX’s People Mover.”

For information, visit metro.net.