Summary

  • A completion date for Los Angeles International Airport’s Automated People Mover is set for January 2026.
  • The train will be free and is expected to transport 30 million people annually.
  • The system will run nine trains with four cars each.

The highly anticipated Automated People Mover (APM) train at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) finally has a completion date set in stone. The airport’s owner and operator, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), said on Thursday that the train will commence operations in January 2026.

It comes as LAWA commissioners reportedly voted to devote an additional $400 million to settle legal claims that have stunted progress on the people mover’s completion. In total, the project’s cost will amount to more than $3 billion.

$550 million settlement

The completion date is set for December 8, 2025, and is part of an agreement with LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) Constructors, which developed the trains. Production on the APM has dated back to August 2018, but has faced significant delays. As a result, LINXS submitted legal claims related to the construction timeline. To address the claims, the Los Angeles Airport Board of Commissioners approved in May that LINXS would be paid around $200 million for the project. However, that money is now included as part of a $400 million settlement, which has increased the total agreement to $550 million, according to ABC 7 Los Angeles.

LAX People Mover.

Photo: Los Angeles World Airports

Shawn West, a board member at LINXS, spoke about the company’s collaboration with LAWA.

“It is an honor to continue our partnership with LAWA and deliver a transportation system that will offer an elevated experience for travelers and Los Angeles residents alike. Our team has worked on large and complex transit projects around the globe, and the transformation provided by the LAX People Mover is poised to truly set the bar.”

“World-class” transportation

The APM will be free to all ticketed passengers, guests, and airport employees. It is expected to transport 30 million travelers annually, “resulting in an estimated 42 million fewer vehicle miles” per year, according to local officials.

“This project is going to reduce traffic on our freeways and our local streets while bringing good paying union jobs to Los Angeles,” said Karen Bass, the Mayor of Los Angeles. “This train will make a direct connection to the Metro system to ensure LAX welcomes Angelenos and visitors from across the globe in a truly world-class way.”

LAX People Mover

Photo: Los Angeles World Airports

During peak hours, between 09:00 and 23:00, the electric trains will travel at 47 miles per hour (mph) between stations, arriving every two minutes. Nine trains, each with four cars capable of carrying up to 50 passengers, will run along a 2.25-mile elevated concrete guideway throughout the airport and connect to six stations:

  • Three inside Central Terminal Area
  • LAX’s Economy Parking facility
  • LAX/Metro Transit Center station (with transfers to the C and K lines)
  • LAX’s Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility

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Challenges ahead?

The APM is pending final sign-off by the Los Angeles City Council. LAWA Chief Executive John Ackerman told the Los Angeles Times that he is confident the train will be completed and operational within the anticipated timeline, but said the dates could change.

“We are building it on land that LAWA does not own, we are interacting with other agencies that we have no control over, and there are sometimes unforeseen problems on projects of this complexity,” the executive said.

LAX is in the process of a $30 billion airport-wide overhaul. With the APM’s newly allocated funds, its budget has increased from $2.9 billion to $3.34 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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  • Airfield - LAWA Brosseau - 4

    Los Angeles International Airport

    IATA/ICAO Code:
    LAX/KLAX

    Country:
    United States

    CEO:
    Justin Erbacci

    Passenger Count :
    48,007,284 (2021)

    Runways :
    6L/24R – 2,721m (8,926 ft) |
    6R/24L – 3,318m (10,885 ft) |
    7L/25R – 3,939m (12,923 ft) |
    7R/25L – 3,382m (11,095 ft)

    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 |
    Terminal 2 |
    Terminal 3 |
    Tom Bradley International Terminal | Terminal 4 |
    Terminal 5 |
    Terminal 6 |
    Terminal 7 |
    Terminal 8

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