Today, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined city, federal and airport officials to debut a critical component of the future of LAX with the unveiling of the first Automated People Mover (APM) train car. LAX will be the first U.S. airport to feature the INNOVIA 300 APM vehicles, which showcase the latest technology to help revolutionize how travelers get to and from the fifth-busiest airport in the world.
The APM system will reduce vehicle congestion and traffic in and around LAX when it opens, while providing the long-awaited connection to regional transportation, including Metro light rail.
“The Automated People Mover will be so much more than another way to get to LAX – it’s the piece of the puzzle that will curb the congestion that has been plaguing our airport for decades,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “As we welcome the first car that will whisk travelers to renovated terminals, parking structures, Metro rail, and a new rental car facility, it’s clear that a completely reimagined LAX is on the horizon.”
The debut of the train car took place today at what will serve as the operational hub for the APM system – the Maintenance and Storage Facility – and was emceed by Mayor Garcetti. Also joining in the celebration were Rep. Maxine Waters, whose 43rd Congressional District includes LAX, Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) President Beatrice Hsu, LAWA Chief Executive Officer Justin Erbacci and Roya Noorbakhsh, the Chief Technical Officer of LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS), developer of the APM system.
The first train car arrived to the Maintenance and Storage Facility site in June after a cross-country journey from the Alstom factory in Pittsburgh, PA, where the APM vehicles are fabricated and assembled. In total, 44 train cars will make the journey to LAX, in addition to the APM Maintenance and Service Vehicle, which arrived earlier this year. So far, three train cars have arrived at the Maintenance and Storage Facility site, with the fourth arriving later this week.
The driverless train system that will be utilized at LAX was specifically designed for flexible operation in both urban and airport transportation. During peak hours (9 a.m. to 11 p.m.), the trains will arrive at stations every two minutes, with an end-to-end run time of 10 minutes. The trains feature wide doors for easy access with luggage, large windows for viewing, plenty of hand holds and 12 seats.
The centerpiece of LAX’s Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), the APM is a 2.25-mile electric train system that will transport travelers in and out of the CTA. The APM will feature six stations: three inside the CTA, which connect to the terminals via elevated pedestrian walkways, and three stations outside the CTA, which will connect to new off-site parking facilities, including LAX Economy Parking, regional light rail transportation and a Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility. The APM project is a critical investment into the infrastructure of Los Angeles as the city prepares to welcome the world to the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
