With thousands of FIFA World Cup spectators now streaming into the City of Angels, officials at Los Angeles International Airport had initially hoped to greet travelers with a fully functioning electric train that would run high above the airport’s chaotic traffic loop and whisk passengers to a shiny new transportation center.
But the long-awaited automated people mover — considered by some to be a crucial missing link in the region’s commuter rail network — has yet to transport a single passenger.
Three years after its planned 2023 opening date, the newly dubbed SkyLink system remains mired in technical hiccups and legal disputes. Among other issues, the contractor hired to design and build the system has accused the governing body of LAX, Los Angeles World Airports, of imposing numerous “blockers” that have delayed the train’s opening.
“It is frustrating it’s not open yet and I think if political leaders were serious about, you know, really understanding what’s going wrong and making sure it doesn’t happen again, like there should be some accountability.” said Ethan Elkind, rail expert and director of the climate program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment at UC Berkeley.
In a report dated June 15, the system contractor — LAX Integrated Express Solutions — said LAWA project impediments include airport landscaping work, approval delays and impacts from other projects. Because of this, LINXS projected that passenger service would not begin until at least early October.
“The safety and absolute reliability of the SkyLink train are our highest priorities as we progress toward passenger service. Rigorous, exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles is the standard industry practice for major airport transit infrastructure to guarantee seamless long-term system integration. We will not compromise on these stringent safety protocols, as delivering a system that safely, dependably, and durably serves Los Angeles and our upcoming global events is our primary focus,” LAWA said in a statement when asked for comment on SkyLink’s status.
LINXS did not respond to a request for comment on the status of SkyLink.
The roughly $3.34-billion train project is part of a larger $30-billion package of upgrades to LAX. A major factor in the train delay is a series of disputes between LAWA and LINXS, the latest of which involves a $36 million claim over repair work that LINXS says is not its responsibility.
In April, LAWA announced that testing would finally begin on the rail line. As part of that testing, the train must run 30 consecutive days without a problem before it can accept passengers. This requirement has yet to be met.
The first phase of testing was supposed to start the week of April 20, approximately 60 days ago.
In the meantime, LAX visitors must wait to soar above local traffic and make a speedy exit via rail.
“However you can get out of LAX the fastest and the cheapest is how everybody’s calculating in my circle of bartenders and magicians” said Joshua Lucas, a passenger who was recently arriving at LAX.
When SkyLink opens to the public, its fully automated electric cars will arrive every two minutes during the peak hours of 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with an estimated end-to-end time of 10 minutes. Its 2.25-mile track — approximately the same length of Manhattan Beach’s coastline — services six stations. Three stations are within the airport , and the remaining three connect passengers to the Economy parking and Ground Transportation Center— where “over a mile of custom curbs” have been installed for rideshare services — as well as the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station and the LAX Rental Car Center.
Jacob Wasserman, UCLA Institute of Transportation research program manager, cautioned that the SkyLink wouldn’t be a fix-all solution to the snarl of congestion that surrounds LAX. Rather, it “offers an alternative,” he said. “You can choose to avoid the traffic.”
Looking ahead, hopes remain high for the SkyLink to be operational for Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028.
Large sporting events, like the Olympics, have inspired major pushes to L.A. infrastructure before.
Wasserman highlighted how the second level of the horseshoe-shaped road around the LAX terminals was added in preparation for the 1984 Olympics. “It sort of shows that the airport has always been on the minds of people as we plan for these mega-events.” Wasserman said.
Beyond LAX, the 1984 Olympics were also a “motivating force” to build the beginnings of L.A.’s modern rail system. Elkind explained that voters in the city approved a sales tax measure for rail projects in 1980.
“That was interesting with the Olympics, that they they reduced traffic and served, rhetorically at least, as a way to try to speed up rail projects,” Elkind said.
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