LA Metro unveils rail concept for Sepulveda Pass project

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) late last week revealed initial concepts for a proposed transit-rail line through the Sepulveda Pass.

The agency is exploring four concepts for the corridor: heavy rail, light rail, monorail and a rubber-tired train system.

Metro developed the rail concepts as part of a feasibility study for the project, which would establish a new rail line between the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with routes generally following Interstate 405.

"The emphasis at this time is to look at how a Sepulveda rail line could connect to other existing or planned transit lines, including the Orange and Expo Lines, the Purple Line Extension of the subway that is currently under construction and the future East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor line between Van Nuys and the San Fernando/Sylmar Metrolink station," according to Metro's blog.

Agency officials expect to wrap up the feasibility study by 2019. Concepts deemed the best will become part of an environmental analysis.

Measures R and M — the agency's most recent sales tax measures — will provide $5.7 billion for the proposed San Fernando Valley-LAX rail line. The project is part of Metro's Twenty Eight by '28 initiative, which calls for completing 28 major transportation projects ahead of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics, which Los Angeles will host.

Metro officials have said the Sepulveda Pass remains "one of the most intractable choke points" in the region.

Meanwhile, a consortium of rail suppliers has finalized a $4.9 billion contract with Los Angeles World Airports to design, build, finance, operate and maintain an automated people mover system at LAX.

Known as LAX Integrated Express Solutions, the consortium includes Bombardier Transportation, ACS Infrastructure Development Inc., Balfour Beatty Investments Inc., Fluor Enterprises Inc. and HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions North America Inc.

For its part, Bombardier will design and supply 44 Innovia APM vehicles, along with signaling and onboard and wayside communication systems.

The Los Angeles City Council approved the contract in April.