LOS ANGELES — The Nov. 2 restart of full light rail service from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach, following a lengthy renovation, did not go as smoothly as LA Metro would have wanted. But, six weeks after reopening, Trains News Wire rode end-to-end on four different trains, each on time and crowded with midmorning riders.
The line had been disrupted for 10 months by the construction. [See “LA Metro on schedule with Blue Line construction work,” News Wire, March 26, 2019.]
“Things are starting to settle down,” says Bernard Jackson, senior executive officer for rail operations at Metro.
A few weeks earlier, the Los Angeles Times reported numerous train delays, attributed to a faulty crossing gate, signal system issues and emergency repairs. The catenary system, rewired along the entire line, had been incorrectly installed in some places, damaging pantographs.
“We have task force operations out there now, where we have support from our maintenance and engineering department, our signals department, our traction power department,” says Jackson. “Our on-time performance is starting to creep back up to what our expectations are for the route, and we’re starting to see riders come back into the system.”
Formerly known as the Blue Line, the rebranded A Line saw about 60,000 daily weekday riders before the refurbishing effort, down from a high of 88,000 in 2012. Breakdowns, delays, and crime had discouraged riders. Now, says Jackson, they’re seeing 48,000 weekday passenger counts and expecting that to grow.
A major source of delays has been the grade-level junction at Flower Street and Washington Boulevard, a busy street intersection where the Expo Line diverges. Trains on both lines run on 6-minute peak headways, creating a bottleneck every three minutes. Rail and switches were wearing out.
“Our trains were stacking up trying to get through that junction with interlocking failure and track circuit failure,” Jackson explains. “Then we had to go there and manually route trains through that area.” As part of the renovation, switches were replaced and rail alignment was adjusted.
Delays caused by street traffic still occur, but Metro is working with the city of Los Angeles on signal prioritization for trains. Further south, traffic signal priority in Long Beach, installed as part of the renovation, already reduces delays in the crowded downtown area.
Previously, every other southbound peak-service train turned back at the Willow station due to street congestion. Now, all trains continue through to Long Beach, reducing wait times for northbound commuters.
All rail south of Willow has been replaced and four new crossovers were installed between Slauson and Compton to keep trains moving in the event of an incident. With these changes, operators were given a short refresher training.
Street running will always be slower, as trains are restricted to 35 mph. Elevated and underground sections permit 55-mph running.
Riders are unlikely to notice the infrastructure upgrades, but will appreciate the latest Kinkisharyo P3010 railcars, running in three-car trainsets, more of which are now assigned to the A Line. They run considerably quieter and more smoothly than older equipment.
Station improvements along the 22-mile A Line include fresh coat, new signage, and large, interactive digital information displays. These screens show train arrival information, service alerts, and area maps to help with local navigation.
The Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station, serving 47% of riders on the A Line, is receiving a $109 million makeover. The landmark project features a new civic plaza, customer service center, better bus bays, and a bicycle hub.
Closed throughout the construction except to Green Line trains, which cross overhead, the station reopened when full service resumed on the A Line, but is far from complete. Work continues on the A Line platform and pedestrian crossing to the station plaza, the plaza itself, and the customer service center. Completion is expected in early 2020.
The refresh of Metro’s oldest rail transit line is the first project completed as part of a plan to prepare for the 2028 Olympics. [See “LA Metro to prepare for 2028 Olympics with 11 rail projects,” News Wire, Feb. 21, 2019.]
But an even greater change is ahead for the A Line, beginning in 2022 when the Regional Connector will complete a through light-rail route under downtown Los Angeles. [See “LA Metro works to close light rail’s ‘missing link,’” News Wire, June 14, 2019.] A Line trains will then run from Long Beach to Azusa on the Foothill Gold Line, a two-hour trip.
“Early discussions have already begun about how we’re going to accomplish that,” Jackson says. The Connector is expected to add 18,000 riders a day, which means more trains, requiring more operators. A Line operators only have a brief break in Long Beach, as they must keep the line moving around the downtown loop, so Jackson will have to consider whether to change out operators at the new downtown midpoint.
The “A Line (Blue),” as train destination signs read, was the progenitor of today’s growing LA Metro subway and light rail system. Jackson believes it was the perfect choice to launch the Olympic rail projects. He says, “It shows that the agency has a commitment to not only building, but investing in our network.”
