Los Angeles Metro K Line

Early transit proposals

 

Extending the C Line (formerly the Green Line) to Los Angeles International Airport was an early goal of Los Angeles transit planners. Studies in 1984 and 1988 outlined routes from the Aviation/LAX station, running northeast to LAX and Westchester, similar to later plans for the second phase of the Sepulveda Transit Corridor. Although planners planned to add a spur towards LAX, they did not include it over fears that commuters would not use the line if they had to go through the airport on the way to work. The proposed extension to LAX was further complicated by concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration that the overhead lines of the rail line would interfere with the landing paths of airplanes. Amid ambivalence at LAX and L.A. City Hall, the plans to extend the line to the airport were shelved. To serve the once bustling aerospace sector in El Segundo, the line goes south to the Redondo Beach station. Access to the airport requires connecting to a shuttle bus at the Aviation/LAX station.

Crenshaw/LAX Line project

A north–south line along Crenshaw Blvd was planned following the 1992 Los Angeles riots as a way to better serve transit-dependent residents in the corridor while at the same time providing stimulus for positive economic growth in the South Los Angeles region. The corridor was originally served by Los Angeles Railway Line 5 yellow streetcars until 1955 when the service was replaced with buses. The proposed line would link the E and C lines via Crenshaw and Florence, and a wye would be constructed to connect the K Line tracks to the C Line tracks near the Aviation/LAX station. There would also be a station serving the LAX Airport (Aviation/Century station), completing the LAX connection envisioned by planners in the 1980s. The new line was championed by State Senator Diane Watson and County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, both representing portions of the corridor.

 

A Major Investment Study was initiated in 1993, and after more than a decade of study, a Final Environmental Impact Report was completed in May 2011. The FTA gave its approval to build the line in 2012, and heavy construction began in June 2014, funded by Measure R. Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was a key advocate for tunneling and other grade separation along the line. He also convinced Metro in 2013 to add an extra underground station at Leimert Park (Crenshaw/Vernon).

The route was designated as the K Line in November 2019. Originally scheduled to open in 2019, the project saw repeated delays. In April 2020, Metro announced that the completion date for the project would be pushed to no earlier than May 2021 due to construction issues. The support structures for bridges and tunnels had concrete plinths that were incorrectly installed, requiring extensive repairs to sections where tracks had already been installed. The K Line was substantially complete on June 17, 2022.

Even with the line's completion, it won't connect to the C Line or LAX until late 2024. Metro is under-construction on a new infill station at LAX/Metro Transit Center, providing Metro riders a seamless transfer to the airport terminals via the LAX Automated People Mover system. During construction, Metro is only operating the K Line from Expo/Crenshaw station to Westchester/Veterans station with a shuttle service providing passengers access to the LAX shuttle and the C Line at Aviation/LAX station. The northern portion of the line ultimately opened on October 7, 2022.

LAX/Metro Transit Center

 

The line was from its inception intended to offer a connection to LAX via an Automated People Mover (APM). However, at the time the line was designed, it was unclear where exactly that connection would take place. While Metro expected that the connection would be at Aviation/Century station, ultimately the route chosen for the LAX Automated People Mover intersected with the new line at 96th Street, about half a mile to the north, requiring the design of an additional station while the overall line was still under construction.

In 2014, Metro approved the planning and scoping of this station, which was called Aviation/96th in planning documents but was ultimately designated LAX/Metro Transit Center station. This station is intended to serve as Metro Rail's main gateway to the airport itself, while the Aviation/Century station will serve destinations along the busy Century Boulevard corridor.

While initial plans called for the full length of the project to be opened for service while the LAX/Metro Transit Center was under development, delays in the opening of the main line meant that major construction on the station was already underway by the time the line was ready. As a result, the line opened on October 7, 2022 only from Expo/Crenshaw to Westchester/Veterans. The full length of the line, including the LAX/Metro Transit Center and Aviation/Century stations, along with the connection to the C Line, will open in late 2024.

Future service patterns

 

 

 

Graphics depicting the three options for future C and K Line service patterns

Varying service patterns have been proposed for integrating the completed K Line into the rest of the system over the course of its planning and construction, all of which have involved sharing trackage and infrastructure facilities with the existing C Line. Although some early proposals would have sent trains through all three directions of the wye, this was rejected by Metro because it would cause too much wear and tear on the track switch mechanisms.

The debate over service patterns proved somewhat contentious. In 2018, with the line then scheduled to open within the year, the Metro Board of Directors overrode a recommendation by operations staff that would have had a single line operating between Expo/Crenshaw and Norwalk station. Passengers from the Redondo Beach area would have been served by a shuttle to the LAX area, where they would need to transfer to another train to continue east or north. Instead, board members approved a one-year pilot of a configuration that would combine an Expo-to-Norwalk line with another line that would connect Redondo Beach with Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station, allowing transfers to the A and J Lines. The approved plan would have incurred higher operating expenses but board members argued it would retain better transfer opportunities for South Bay residents.

Ongoing construction delays led to a reassessment of that plan in 2022. Metro recommended public outreach aimed at reformulating the operating plan before the connection to the C Line opens in 2024; in March 2023, Metro indicated that it would recommend Option 2 in the figure above, in which the K Line would run north–south between Expo/Crenshaw and Redondo Beach, while the C Line would run west-east between LAX and Norwalk. On June 22, 2023, Metro's board of directors officially approved the implementation of Option 2 based on staff recommendation and public opinion.

Platform extensions

While most stations on the K Line were built to accommodate three-car trains, the current C Line stations built south of the Interstate 105 were only built to accommodate two-car trains. To enable increased capacity of the line, Metro plans to lengthen the platforms at Aviation/LAX, Mariposa, El Segundo, Douglas, and Redondo Beach. The project would also add traction power substations and replace catenary wire and track ties. In April 2023, the state awarded Metro $95 million for the project, which is expected to cost $141 million. The project is expected to be complete in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Northern extension to Hollywood

 

The original plans for the Crenshaw/LAX Line project connected Wilshire Boulevard to Los Angeles International Airport. However, once light rail was selected as the preferred mode, the cost for the entire route exceeded the project budget, so part of the corridor north of Exposition Boulevard was deferred until funds became available.

The final design for the Crenshaw/LAX project included a tunneled station at Expo/Crenshaw to accommodate a potential northward extension, which increased the cost of the original project by $236 million.

With the passage of Measure M and the enthusiastic support of the city of West Hollywood, the K Line Northern Extension, which would travel north from the current Expo/Crenshaw terminus, connecting along the way to the B and D lines, is currently under development. Three options are being studied, all ending at the B Line's Hollywood/Highland station, with an optional station at the Hollywood Bowl also being considered. The San Vicente Alternative, also known as the hybrid alternative, follows Crenshaw Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard, turning north on Fairfax Avenue to serve The Original Farmers Market and Television City before turning on Beverly Boulevard to connect back to San Vicente Boulevard near Cedars-Sinai Medical Center towards West Hollywood at Pacific Design Center. Finally, serving new stations on Santa Monica Boulevard, the route curves north again towards Hollywood. The other two options follow a traditional north–south routing on either Fairfax Avenue or La Brea Avenue.

On Metro Rail's internal timetables, the K Line is called line 807.

Maintenance

The K Line is operated by Division 16 (Southwestern Yard) in Westchester directly east of the northern runways of the Los Angeles International Airport, and adjacent to the future LAX/Metro Transit Center station. Trains access the yard via crossovers from the north and south sides of the yard.

 

Rolling stock

As of 2022, the Kinki Sharyo P3010 is the only rolling stock to serve the K Line. Trains run in one- or two-car consists but has the option to run at a maximum of three cars at anytime. However once service is extended to Redondo Beach, two-car consists will be maximum as the C Line stations south of Aviation/Century were built for up to two cars only. However, Metro is planning to extend the platforms at these stations to also be able to eventually accommodate up to three-car trains.

• On February 18, 2023, a northbound train collided with a cement mixer at the Cedar Avenue crossing between the Downtown Inglewood and Westchester/Veterans stations.

• Foothill Extension
• D Line Extension
• Southeast Gateway Line
• East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project