Heads up! Metro will be connecting the A Line (Blue) and E Line (Expo) to the Regional Connector project, and rail service will be temporarily suspended at 7th St/Metro Center and Pico Station from 9 p.m. Friday, March 11, through close of service Sunday, March 13.
A free bus shuttle, Line 859, will replace train service between 7th Street/Metro Center, Pico Station, LATTC/Ortho Institute Station, Grand/LATTC Station, San Pedro Station, and Washington Station. Please see the above maps.
At 7th/Metro Station, the stop for the southbound 859 bus will be at Hope and 7th. The stop for the northbound bus will be at Figueroa and 7th.
At Pico Station, the stop for the southbound 859 bus will be at Pico and Flower. The northbound 859 will stop at Pico and Figueroa.
There will be NO impact to B Line (Red) and D Line (Purple) service.
The A and E Line bus shuttles will match train schedules. Metro staff will be on hand to lend assistance where bus shuttles are running.
You can also check Twitter @metrolaalerts, metro.net/advisories or call 323.GOMETRO for updates and trip planning assistance. A 24/7 in-language assistance project hotline can be reached at 213.922.7277 to address concerns.
The J Line (Silver), LADOT Dash F Line and Metro Bike Share also provide service at the affected stations.
This work is part of the final push for construction on the Regional Connector, which will connect the A, E and L Line (Gold) via a pair of new 1.9-mile light rail tunnels under downtown L.A. The Regional Connector will make light rail trips to and through downtown much quicker and greatly reduce the need to transfer to reach many destinations.
The merged A, E and L Lines are scheduled to begin using the new tunnels in late 2022. Under the operating plan proposed by Metro staff, one light rail line will run between East Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The other line will run between Azusa and Long Beach. The two lines will share five downtown L.A. stations for easy transfers. For more information on the project visit metro.net/connector.
Categories: Service Alerts, Transportation News
open this line on oct 31 2022 on halloween
Gonna assume this is to tie the tracks together? Glad at least this is coming together but not getting my hopes up considering the Crenshaw Line has been 98% complete for 18 months now.
They need to give the Expo line the right of way through lights/traffic when it leaves LATTC on its way back to Pico. And downtown Metro 7th Street station..There is NO reason to sit for an extra 15 mins because the train signaling or whatever is not in place to let train pass right through..This MUST be addressed..
Hi Joanne;
Agree. Metro and the city of L.A. have been working on getting Expo trains through intersections more quickly. Obviously more work to be done but at least they’re working on it.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
Thanks, Steve:
Let’s hope they are working on. As I’m not the only customer who has complained about this problem.
Do they have a plan where they are going to store and service the east L.A. portion of the Gold Line once it becomes part of the Expo Line. The Expo Line yard in Santa Monica is at capacity. Is the MTA going to address this on opening day like they did when the Expo Line opened with trains backing up due to no space at 7th and Flower?
Hi Mike;
As part of the Eastside project, potential locations for a rail car maintenance facility are being studied. The technical study, for example, mentions further coordination with the city of Commerce about studying some potential locations near Washington Boulevard.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
I’m wish the speed of construction in all METRO project get better!!!! You Guy’s are so slow!!!! bring online new everything!!!! you say it’s one date … and 6 years later this date!!!
If I recall the Regional connector construction should have no impact on existing A/E line service in 7MC. The construction begins at the end of the turn back tracks north of the station, can’t you complete the construction at night that you have been doing it since early this year? Even if it requires interruption, why does Pico station has to be closed as well? Trains can continue to serve and turn back in Pico station.
Probably because in typical Metro fashion, there are probably no crossover tracks between Washington and Pico, hence why that station needs to close as well.
So glad I no longer need to commute on those lines, having to take a bus easily added 20-30 min to a commute to the west side or Long Beach. Screw this!
There actually are crossover tracks on the track segment between Pico and Venice. So yeah, this one is inexplicable, which, is also typical Metro fashion. I can’t see how logistically turning trains back at Pico is any different than turning them back at 7th st. given the presence of said crossover tracks. Go figure.