Anyone familiar with the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is no stranger to the palm-tree-lined monster that is 1 World Way, a congested loop which drivers must brave to enter or exit the airport. Unsurprisingly, in 2019, Fodor’s Travel Guide named LAX the “worst airport in the world.” LAX is the eighth busiest airport in the world, and for years has required travelers to choose from less-than-ideal transportation options: navigate 1 World Way via car, take a shuttle to a Metro station, or pay for an Uber or taxi.
Following an agreement approved by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC), a glimpse of salvation has emerged—an Automated People Mover (APM) will fully open in January 2026. The 2.25-mile elevated, driverless train is slated to reduce congestion on the surrounding freeways and streets, improve mobility for residents and travelers, and “give people time back in their lives,” according to a press statement released by LAX.
History of People Movers
Automated People Movers, small-scale automated trains, first emerged in the 1960s. In 1967, Montreal introduced one at Expo 67, later followed by Disneyland’s eponymous model the same year.
The history of LAX’s people mover stretches back several years, when anticipation of the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics finally catalyzed the development of a train which connected the airport’s terminals to parking lots, the rental car facility and the Metro connector. In 2018, the Los Angeles City Council approved a 30-year, $4.9 billion contract with joint venture team, LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) to “design, build, finance, operate and maintain” the people mover.
Construction began in 2019. Since then, the project has dolled out $1.02 billion in contracts to more than 85 local businesses and created nearly 10,000 jobs. The endeavor, initially expected to conclude in 2023, has not been without obstacles. According to credit agency Fitch Ratings, disputes between LAX and LINXS over timeline, production, and compensation caused delays in the construction schedule.
This month, LAX announced construction will now complete on December 8, 2025. Trains will begin operating for guests and employees the following January. The recent agreement stipulates LAX will pay LINXS an additional $550 million as well as $50 million for contingencies.
“[The APM] is a critical step in our transformation of LAX to make it more welcoming, convenient and sustainable, and to enhance the airport as an economic engine for our region,” John Ackerman, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, said in a statement. “Completing this program with certainty is a top priority of LAX leadership, and this agreement does just that.”
The train is expected to carry 30 million passengers each year and result in an estimated 42 million fewer vehicle miles annually. It will be open 24/7 and available for free to ticketed passengers, their guests, and airport employees. The APM will connect to six stations—three inside the airport’s central terminal area, one at the LAX parking facility, and one connecting to Metro Transit Center station, with transfers to the C and K lines.
