LAX Airport $2 Billion People Mover Train | Construction Update

Update, we are now looking at a completion date of December of 2025. Despite a $200 million budget oversight, the People Mover project continues to make progress at 97% complete.
The APM will have nine trains, each with four cars. Each car will carry up to 50 passengers and their luggage, with a total of 200 per train. Train speed will top out at 47 mph. Trains will be available at each station every two minutes with a total of 10 minutes travel time end-to-end. For easy access, the APM trains will have large, wide doors and each car will have 12 seats designated for travelers in need. The APM will be FREE for all users and operate at all times. Anticipated use will be 30 million passengers per year.
The APM trains, elevators, escalators, and moving sidewalks provide for quick access to the terminals and stations. Passengers will be able to view real-time flight information, public art in a variety of media, and will see the iconic Theme Building from a brand new perspective as the train enters the Central Terminal Area.
In addition to reducing traffic, the APM will leverage cutting-edge sustainability practices to reduce the airport area’s carbon footprint. The system’s fleet will consist of 44 cars that are fully electric powered, 98% recyclable, and generate a portion of their own power through regenerative breaking, while providing an industry-leading ride quality for users. Our command center and maintenance facility generates nearly half of its power from solar energy and is designed to be LEED Gold Certified. These design enhancements allowed the team to offset the carbon equivalent of 12 million vehicle miles driven.
The APM is an historic investment in Los Angeles’ emerging businesses and workforce. More than $580 Million has been identified for local, small or disabled veteran-owned businesses, with $94 Million commitment exclusively to local, small businesses right here in Los Angeles. The project will create more than 2,000 construction jobs, with 30% of those opportunities being reserved for residents of Los Angeles as well as highly impacted communities near LAX. Sixty percent of careers during the 25-year Operations and Maintenance phase are designated for local workers. LINXS, the selected APM developer-has built partnerships with community-based organizations to focus on expanding the pipeline of workers, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds. Through more than $900,000 in investments, the project will create infrastructure career pathways for women, former foster youth, individuals in reentry and transitioning out of gang involvement, and persons with disabilities. HireLAX, LAWA’s Apprenticeship Readiness Program, will be a key partner in this effort, as will other resources offered by the Building Trades and other industry partners. Beginning in March 2018, LINXS will host an on-site career resources office.
People Mover report emma.msrb.org/P21810291-P2138...

[@shawng8613]

I think that the December 2025 date was the estimated completion date without any additional funds. Now that LAX agreed to pay an additional $200MM that date is expected to move earlier and there should be an update soon.

[@KingLazy93]

Hopefully once this project is complete, LAWA can place a lawsuit towards the contractor for strategized incompetence

[@Geotpf]

Did I hear that right? 97% complete but not opening for another year and a half? WTF?

[@benjamingruca3591]

Hey John -- do you think you could start a series on the construction going on up at BUR Airport? Your videos are always so insightful and it would be really interesting to see that project get made!

[@AtomicBuffalo]

If it won’t open until December 2025, it’s not 97% complete.

[@narakusdemon.88]

lol this is such a joke. I remember believing LA/California would care about public transportation, but then I gave up and moved away. How's that high speed rail coming?

[@povertyspec9651]

$2 billion LMAO. Overdesigned and overcomplicated.

[@chrissimmons9743]

Ok so, the delay sucks, but as long as it doesn't effect the Green and Pink (Crenshaw) lines too much (if at all) then the Shuttles should still work well enough for getting to LA Metro Trains from the actual airport.

[@mattreedah]

These delays are an outrage

[@Damoor]

Nobody walks in LA. Except at LAX.

[@JEFFK1963]

I recently visited LAX to drop off and a week later, pick up my daughter from a flight. I found out a few things.

[@Buc_Stops_Here]

While this has been delayed so was the JFK Airtrain on the other side of the country. It started construction of its 8.1-mi. system in 1998 and finished 5 years later in 2003. All passengers entering or exiting at either Jamaica or Howard Beach must pay an $8.50 fare, while passengers traveling within the airport can ride for free. The system was originally projected to carry 4 million annual paying passengers and 8.4 million annual inter-terminal passengers every year. The AirTrain has consistently exceeded these projections since opening. In 2023, the system carried a total of 6,737,100 passengers, or about 21,100 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024. Hopefully LAX can mirror the success of JFK's Airtrain. BIG difference is Airtain goes to each terminal, LA won't.

[@B757ATL]

John, regarding Terminal 4, the legacy pedestrian bridge and the big barrel portion (currently TSA) will be removed in the next phase. The new building will be extended into that space.

[@damienruud9742]

Still supporting this despite the delay! Thanks for this update John! :)

[@AgathaLOutahere]

As someone who twice a year flies into LAX on Southwest and needs to go to the Bradley Terminal for overseas connections it's faster to walk between the terminals than it is to wait for any type of transportation.

[@williamlloyd3769]

John, could you go to the San Fernando Valley and do a video on the new Ram training facility that is currently being built out?

[@1977SITHLORD]

Thanks for the update ✌🏾

[@JeanClaudeCOCO]

Construction is basically almost done. All the remaining work should be done this year but the trains aren’t ready bummer 😢

[@Nick-wj9bc]

ill be here in 24 hours to drop off and I hope it's easy because this airport suuuucks. best airport Ive been to is Minneapolis because of their tram system, very easy for a long airport and the green trees is a nice touch, Dallas is cool too.

[@kentslocum]

Since the PeopleMover is the linchpin of the entire expansion plan, every delay pushes the whole plan backwards. Can the CONRAC open without the APM functional? It would be great to vacate the surface lots so construction can proceed on Concourse Zero.