Summary
- LAX prepares for the future with a sleek new Automated People Mover train system by 2026.
- LINXS partnership prioritizes sustainability with recyclable materials and regenerative braking.
Serving more than 75 million guests in 2023, Los Angeles International Airport needs a super-efficient system to move them around its various terminals. That solution moved closer this week when the final four Automated People Mover train cars arrived at the airport from their Pittsburgh, PA, manufacturer.
Gearing up for 2026
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with the support of its owner/operator, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), is going through a multi-million dollar capital improvement and modernization program. Like most airports and airlines, LAX wants to ensure efficiency and dependability for all travelers, including the new Automated People Mover and Consolidated Rental Car facility.
Yesterday, LAX announced that the final four Automated People Mover (APM) train cars had arrived, bringing the rolling stock to its full complement of 44 APMs. The APMs started to arrive from their Pittsburgh manufacturer in the summer of 2022, and the remaining cars have steadily made the long cross-country journey to Los Angeles since then.
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The latest arrivals now join the rest of the APM fleet in testing on the elevated guideway as the design-build team at LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) moves towards the project’s completion date of December 2025. When the system enters service in January 2026, the APM trains will operate 24/7, with a train arriving every two minutes during the peak hours of 09:00 to 23:00.
Photo: Philip Pilosian | Shutterstock
The new APM train system is being developed by LINXS, a fully integrated joint venture team that brings together its four partners’ unparalleled expertise and experience. LINXS Constructors is the Design-Build Contractor team formed by Fluor, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. (BBII), Flatiron and Dragados USA, Inc.
LA’s biggest PPP
LINXS is contracted to design, build, finance, operate and maintain what will be Los Angeles’s largest public-private partnership. Los Angeles World Airports CEO John Ackerman said receiving the final cars for the APM signifies a major milestone for the project and the transformation of LAX. He added:
“The APM will enhance the travel experience at LAX and set a new standard for sustainable transportation. As we move this project forward, we remain dedicated to delivering a state-of-the-art solution that reflects our commitment to our passengers, community and environment.”
Los Angeles International will be the first US airport to use the new INNOVIA 300 APM cars, which include a variety of sustainable features. These include fully recyclable state-of-the-art aluminum shells, a regenerative braking system, and a design to eliminate hazardous substances and toxic emissions.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
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Environmental consciousness is a fundamental commitment for LINXS and the APM, and the system has already earned an Envision Gold Award for Sustainable Infrastructure from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The APM Maintenance and Storage Facility is designed to meet the LEED Gold Standard set by the US Green Building Council, with almost half of its power produced by a photovoltaic generation system.
After approval by the Board of Airport Commissioners on July 18, the Los Angeles City Council approved an agreement last week that sets the construction completion date to December 8, 2025. That agreement also provides LINXS with an additional $550 million for added work previously completed and a longer than anticipated construction timeline.