The LAX/Metro Transit Center (formerly known as the Airport Metro Connector) is an $898 million multi-modal transit hub and light rail station developed at the Los Angeles International Airport. Serving as the long-awaited “missing link” between the regional rail network and the airport, the facility connects the Metro C (Green) and K (Crenshaw) lines directly to the new LAX Automated People Mover (APM). In addition to its light rail platforms, the expansive hub features a 16-bay bus plaza, a private vehicle drop-off zone, a multi-level pedestrian promenade, a Metro customer service center, and a secure hub for 150 bicycles. Having officially broken ground in mid-2021, the station’s primary construction concluded in late 2024, with full passenger operations preparing to commence in alignment with the opening of the LAX APM system in 2026.

This drive to eliminate “transportation gaps” at major North American gateways is also seeing significant progress in Canada, where the $600 million Montreal airport light rail station stays on budget and on schedule for a late 2027 opening. As of April 2026, the station—the final segment of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) network—is approximately 80% complete. Built 40 meters directly beneath the Montreal Trudeau International Airport terminal, the facility successfully completed its first test train run in January 2026. Once operational, the station is projected to serve 7 million passengers annually and will feature a signature “iceberg” architectural design, providing a high-speed, weather-insulated connection that parallels the multimodal integration seen at LAX.

Project Overview

Type: Multi-modal transit hub and light rail station

Location: 96th Street and Aviation Boulevard, Los Angeles, California (LAX)

Total Estimated Cost: $898 million

Transit Connections: Links the LA Metro C Line and K Line to the LAWA Automated People Mover (APM)

Key Facilities: 16-bay bus plaza, passenger drop-off/pick-up zone, 150-space bike hub, and a Metro customer service center

Sustainability Target: LEED Gold certification

Construction Start: Mid-2021

Target Opening: Scheduled to open in alignment with the LAX APM (expected in 2026)

Project Team

Client / Owner: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro)

Lead Design Architect: Grimshaw Architects

Architect of Record / Landscape Architect: Gruen Associates

General Contractor: Hensel Phelps

Engineering & Construction Management: Arcadis and Mott MacDonald

Partner Agency: Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)

Published 24th June 2021: Construction of the LAX-Crenshaw Light Rail project is nearly completed as announced by officials from Walsh-Shea Corridor Constructors. The US$2.1 billion line is expected to be online this year, despite multiple difficulties, including the need to redo work along one section of the route and delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The Crenshaw-LAX Transit Project began construction in 2014 and is nearing completion. The rail line is one of numerous current public transportation and construction projects in Los Angeles as the city upgrades its fragmented transit system and prepares to host tourists for the Olympic Games in 2028.

Also Read: Construction of 20 Arches on Sixth Street, Los Angeles to be completed

This section of the light rail line will go for 8.5 miles from Mid-City to South Los Angeles, eventually reaching the South Bay. The route will traverse through Leimert Park, Hyde Park, and downtown Inglewood, and will include eight additional stops. A separate but still under construction phase will go through Mid-Wilshire, West Hollywood, and Hollywood. City officials are applauding the rail line as a crucial public transit alternative that will allow travelers to effortlessly transfer in and out of the Los Angeles International Airport, which is infamous for its terrible traffic congestion. The train line will also go through the Crenshaw District, which is being revitalized for US$100 million.

Commentary on the LAX-Crenshaw Light rail

“The project is now over 99.5 percent complete.” Metro is committed to providing the community with a high-quality transit route. The contractor is still working at all stations, focusing on safety, systems, and train testing. “If the contractor sticks to its existing timeline, Metro expects to open in late summer 2022,” a Metro representative stated in a statement. “The wall-related difficulties have been resolved. “The issue of not having enough workers was driven by a lack of skilled personnel in labor unions,” said Hill, a representative for the project’s contractors, Walsh-Shea Corridor Constructors.

June 2021

LAX-Crenshaw Light rail construction begins

Construction has begun on the light rail station at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The US$898.6 million station will directly connect Los Angeles International Airport to the region’s light rail and bus transportation systems. The station will have platforms to access Metro light-rail trains, a 16-bay bus plaza for Metro and municipal buses, a private vehicle bicycle zone, a drop-off zone, and commercial space. The project is designed to be up and running in time for the 2028 Olympics. But more importantly, some officials see it as a potential turning point in Los Angeles’ ambitious, expensive efforts to make mass transit a serious alternative in a city known for its cars.

Also Read: Los Angeles rail projects get US$134m pre-development agreements

The Airport Metro Connector project will serve as the ninth station along the Crenshaw/LAX Line and will connect to LAX’s under-construction people mover to deliver passengers directly to their terminal. Visitors and residents in Los Angeles have complained for a long time about the city’s lack of a direct rail connection to the airport, the second-busiest airport in the nation. One 2018 study of transit access at U.S. airports ranked it near the bottom.

“This won’t just be the site of our new Crenshaw/LAX line station. We’re going to have a bus plaza here, with electric bus charging stations, because by 2030 all Metro buses will be electric and emissions-free. We’ll have a dedicated drop-off area here so you never have to go into that horseshoe unless you really want to see the theme building.” said the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti during the ground-breaking ceremony. “This is one of many projects that Measure M, the largest transportation initiative at the local level in American history times two, is doing throughout our county, including 15 transit lines that are either extending or building new, including the Crenshaw/LAX Line that will connect here and that will open very soon,” he added.

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