First responders held an emergency drill on Dec. 16 at the Metro’s subway station at Wilshire and La Cienega boulevards, and will return for a second drill on Dec. 18. (photo by Edwin Folven)

In preparation for the opening of the D Line subway extension, Metro’s Emergency Management Department held an emergency simulation drill at the Wilshire/La Cienega station on Dec. 16. Another emergency drill at the station on Thursday, Dec. 18, from 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

Personnel from the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department, Beverly Hills Police Department and Beverly Hills Fire Department, Metro Operations, Metro Transit Security and Metro Emergency Management are participating in the drills. Fire trucks, police vehicles and specialized equipment were parked around the station on Dec. 16 and will return on Dec. 18.

The emergency exercises are not open to the public. The California Public Utilities Commission requires the emergency drills before the new subway project opens.

The first segment of the D Line subway extension project is scheduled to open from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega during the first quarter of 2026. The second segment from Wilshire/La Cienega to Century City is scheduled to open in late 2026, and the final section to the Westwood/VA Hospital station is anticipated to open in late 2027. Metro will hold a webinar on Jan. 14 from noon-1 p.m. with updates on the project. For information, visit metro.net.