In October 2020, the line was broken into two disconnected segments with the closure of the Little Tokyo/Arts District station in preparation for the opening of the Regional Connector tunnel in Spring 2023.[3] At that point, the L Line will cease to exist as a distinct line within the system, with the northern half serving as an extension to the A Line and the southern half serving as an extension to the E Line.[4] Bus shuttles currently connect the two portions of the line.[5]
Beginning in East Los Angeles, the L Line initially runs west toward Downtown Los Angeles. From its southern terminus at Atlantic, the line travels west along 3rd Street to Indiana Street, where it turns north for two blocks to 1st Street. From here, the line continues west to Little Tokyo, partly through a tunnel under Boyle Heights with two underground stations.[6] The southern part of the line currently stops at Pico/Aliso station because of Regional Connector construction. At Union Station, riders can connect to the northern segment on the L Line to Azusa. Transfers include the Metro B and Metro D subway lines, the Metro J bus rapid transit line, as well as several other transit bus lines, Metrolink regional commuter trains and Amtrak services, including the Pacific Surfliner regional route and long-distance interstate trains.
From Union Station, the L Line proceeds north on an elevated viaduct to Chinatown and then crosses the Los Angeles River adjacent to the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5). From here, the route continues north/northeast, serving the hillside communities north of downtown, including Lincoln Heights, Mount Washington (Southwest Museum), and Highland Park. Through this stretch, the L Line operates primarily at grade, except for a short underpass below Figueroa Street. At Highland Park (50 Ave), the train runs in the median of Marmion Way, where trains run only 20 mph (32 km/h).
East of Pasadena, the route crosses over the eastbound lanes of Interstate 210 west of Santa Anita Avenue on the art-inspired Gold Line Bridge, with a stop at the Arcadia Station, located at the corner of First Avenue and Santa Clara Street. The train then crosses over Huntington Drive and stops at the Monrovia Station, north of Duarte Road at Myrtle Avenue. It continues eastbound with a stop at the Duarte/City of Hope Station located at the north side of Duarte Road, across from the City of Hope Medical Center, then continues going over the San Gabriel River and stops at the Irwindale Station at Irwindale Avenue. Trains zoom over the Foothill Freeway, over Foothill Boulevard, and stop at the Downtown Azusa Station at Azusa Avenue, north of Foothill Boulevard. Its terminus is at the APU/Citrus College Station just west of Citrus Avenue.
Hours and frequency
L Line service hours are approximately from 5:00 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. daily. Monday through Friday, trains on the L Line operate every 10 minutes during peak hours, every 12 minutes during the midday hours, and every 20 minutes into the evening. During the weekends, trains operate every 12 minutes most of the day, but every 20 minutes in the early morning and evening hours.[7]
Speed
The L Line trains travel at a maximum speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). It takes 48 minutes[8] to travel its 29-mile (47 km) length,[1] at an average speed of 26.2 mph (42.2 km/h) over its length. The L Line is particularly slow through the Highland Park area, where trains reach speeds of only 20 mph (32 km/h) while operating in a street running section on Marmion Way.
Station listing
The following table lists the current stations of the L Line, from south to north.
Following the extension to East Los Angeles in 2009, the line's ridership increased to almost 30,000 daily boardings.[12] As of October 2012[update], the average weekday daily boardings for the L Line stood at 42,417, and as of December 2014[update] the average daily weekday boardings had increased to 44,707. Following the extension to Azusa, ridership rose to 49,238 as of May 2016.
Following a new right-of-way, the Gold Line Eastside Extension extended the line east between Union Station and East Los Angeles, opened on November 15, 2009.[18][19][20]
Metro is currently testing the Regional Connector, a light rail subway tunnel across Downtown Los Angeles that will connect the A, E, and L Lines. The project will finally complete the late 1990s vision of the "Pasadena Blue Line," connecting the northern (Union Station–Azusa) segment of the L Line to the A Line (formerly the Blue Line), which runs between Los Angeles and Long Beach. The southern (Pico/Aliso–East LA) segment will be combined with the current E Line, which runs between Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The new east–west line will keep the E Line name but use the L Line's gold color icon.[22][23]
The at-grade Little Tokyo/Arts District station was demolished in 2020 and is being rebuilt as a subway station approximately 500 feet (152 meters) south and on the opposite side of Alameda from its former location.
The groundbreaking for constructing the Regional Connector took place on September 30, 2014, and is expected to be in service by 2023.[24]
Phase 2B of the Foothill Extension, running between APU/Citrus College station in Azusa and the Pomona–North Metrolink station in Pomona, is currently under construction, with a current estimated completion date of 2026.[25] This extension, like the original Gold Line to Pasadena, and the first phase of the Foothill Extension is being built by a specialized construction authority, independent of Metro. The original plan called for the extension to end at Montclair in San Bernardino County, but budget challenges forced the construction authority to cut the line back to Pomona.[26][27]
When this project is completed, it will be served by the A Line.
The L Line fleet is stored and maintained and is operated at Division 21 and Division 24. Division 21 is located on Vin Scully Drive (Elysian Park Drive) just north of North Broadway, overlooking the Los Angeles River, and Division 24 is located south of the I-210 freeway in Monrovia.
As of April 2023, Division 11 and Division 14 have been added to the operations of the L Line. Division 11 is situated at the end of 208th Street between I-710 and the Los Angeles River in North Long Beach within the A Line. Division 14 is situated between Centinela Avenue and Steward Street in Santa Monica within the E Line.
An eastbound trainset on the then-Gold Line using two Kinki Sharyo P3010s
L Line trains are typically two-car trains off-peak. During peak hours on weekdays, some three-car trains run.[29][30] On New Year's Day, the L Line uses three-car trains for service to the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game.
Like the A, C, E, and K lines, trains are composed of high-floor articulated light rail vehicles (LRVs). The AnsaldoBreda P2550, the Kinki Sharyo P3010, or the Siemens P2000 operates the line. The P2000 initially operated the line in 2003 until 2012 when the fleet was transferred to increase availability at the A Line yard for service as a result of the inauguration of the E Line. After the Regional Connector became operational for testing, the P2000 returned to L Line service as a result of training operations for post–Regional Connector service. Rolling stock is now shared between the A, E, and L lines.
Incidents
The following noteworthy incidents have occurred on the L Line since opening.
September 11, 2007 – A driver was critically injured and six passengers, including an LA County Deputy Sheriff and the train operator, suffered minor injuries when a pickup truck ran a red light at Avenue 55 and Marmion Way before being hit by a train.[31]
September 21, 2007 – Six people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including two minor injuries, after an SUV broke off the crossing arms and was struck by a northbound train (car 243) at Avenue 50 and Marmion Way in Mt. Washington. The vehicle caught fire, and a train section was also burnt. It was claimed that the female SUV driver had tried to beat the train. A resident extinguished the fire in the car with a garden hose before Los Angeles Fire arrived. The train that suffered fire damage was repaired and later placed on the Metro C Line.[32]
August 26, 2011 – An altercation between passengers resulted in a non-fatal stabbing during a trip through Pasadena. The train was stopped at Memorial Park station, where the victim was transported to a hospital, and the suspect was detained.[34]
April 24, 2014 – Service was suspended between the Lake and Sierra Madre Villa stations after a collision between two tractor-trailers on the eastbound Foothill Freeway resulted in one vehicle landing on the line, damaging the rails and overhead wires. Full return to normal service took several days.[35]
March 6, 2016 – Service between Allen and Arcadia stations was disrupted for most of the evening, resuming Monday morning, one day after the opening of the Foothill Extension when a semi-truck driver lost control and sent his trailer onto the tracks.[36]
February 20, 2018 – A high-speed pursuit ended when the pursuit suspect drove into the tunnel between Soto and Indiana stations, suspending service.[37]
April 26, 2018 – An accident on the Foothill Freeway sent a FedEx truck onto the tracks between Lake and Memorial Park stations, damaging the rails and overhead wires.[38]
November 27, 2018 – A man was fatally stabbed near the Azusa station.[39]
May 7, 2022 – A man was sprayed with a flammable liquid before being lit on fire at Lake Station. The man was seriously injured, but survived.[40]
-26.3%
Future stations (unfunded)
