Travelers hoping for an easier trip through Los Angeles International Airport will need to wait longer, as the opening of the new People Mover train has been pushed back yet again. Contractors are now targeting early January for passenger service, though they haven't guaranteed that timeline.
The automated train, a 2.25-mile system designed to transform LAX traffic, was initially expected to open in 2023. More recently, contractors had hoped to launch service next month. The $3.3-billion project, which began construction in 2019, is meant to shuttle travelers between terminals, a parking and rental car lot, and the LAX/Metro Transit Center on Aviation Boulevard. It also intends to relocate the rideshare and taxi lot from near Terminal 1 to an area closer to the Metro center once operational.
The latest delay stems from a combination of factors. Contractor LAX Integrated Express Solutions, or LINXS, indicated in a September 16 disclosure filing that it would require additional time beyond the project's technical December 8 completion deadline. For the train to operate, it must undergo 30 consecutive days of successful testing, along with independent oversight and an assessment by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the agency governing LAX. A utility agreement with the L.A. Department of Water and Power also remains outstanding.
LINXS projects a January 6 operational date if all goes well, which would place the train in service just over a month before the Super Bowl at nearby SoFi Stadium. This would be its first major test run, having already missed the opportunity to assist with the World Cup this summer. However, LINXS's filing acknowledged there could be further delays.
Representatives for LINXS, a public-private partnership involving Fluor, Balfour Beatty, ACS Infrastructure Development, Dragados USA, and HNTB, did not respond to requests for comment. LAWA has maintained that the train will not open without extensive testing to meet safety standards, stating that "Rigorous, exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems and vehicles is the standard industry practice for major automated airport transit infrastructure to guarantee seamless long-term system integration."
Despite the project being assessed as 99% complete by Fitch Ratings, progress has been slowed by ongoing disputes over scheduling and compensation between LINXS and LAWA. LINXS recently sued the city, attributing the delays to LAWA. However, a grand jury report found that the contractor was largely to blame for the issues.
Bondholders recently agreed to consolidate a previous October 8 deadline into the final December 8 deadline. While LAWA could theoretically dismiss the contractor if the project isn't finished by then, Seth Lehman, a senior director at Fitch Ratings, believes it's unlikely. "We believe that because the project is literally at the edge of completion, that LAWA would still be incentivized to continue to work with the current parties and get to the finish line," Lehman stated.
Fitch Ratings recently downgraded the project's $1.2-billion senior bond to its negative watch list, moving it from BB+ to BB. Shannon McCue of Fitch noted that the new December 8 deadline did provide some relief, preventing LINXS from immediately breaching its initial contract terms. "It did buy them some time," McCue said, as Fitch continues to evaluate the situation. Until the People Mover is operational, travelers will continue to navigate the often-congested "horseshoe" of 1 World Way as part of LAX's broader $30-billion overhaul, which aims to improve the traveler experience ahead of the 2028 Olympics and the airport's centennial.
