Los Angeles Metro Rail

The Los Angeles Metro Rail is an urban transit system in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The system has a total of six lines and 107 stations. Four lines are light rail (A, C, E, K), and two are rapid transit (B and D). The Los Angeles Metro Rail system also connects to the Metro Busway (G & J), Metrolink, Amtrak, and other transit services.

The A Line is the oldest in the system. It opened on July 14, 1990. Since then, the system continued to expand to more places. More expansions are currently under construction such as the D Line Extension to West Los Angeles. 

, the Los Angeles Metro Rail light rail system is the busiest in the United States. The rapid transit lines are the ninth busiest.

 Current system 

 Lines 
The Los Angeles Metro Rail system includes six lines and 107 stations. The lines used to be named by colors, but are now known by letters since 2020. Metro also uses the same line letter naming system for its Metro Busway lines. Below is the list of the rail lines and how many stations each go to:
Line NameStationsTerminiTypeOpened15x15px A Line48Pomona North 
Downtown Long BeachLight railJuly 14, 1990link=B_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)|15x15px B Line 14North Hollywood
Union StationRapid transitJanuary 30, 199315x15px C Line11LAX/Metro Transit Center
NorwalkLight railAugust 12, 199515x15px D Line8Wilshire/Western
Union StationRapid transitJanuary 30, 1993link=E_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)|15x15px E Line29Downtown Santa Monica
AtlanticLight railApril 28, 201215x15px K Line13Expo/Crenshaw
Redondo BeachLight railOctober 7, 2022

 Stations 
The Los Angeles Metro Rail system has 107 stations. The light rail stations are mostly above ground, but some are underground. All rapid transit stations (B and D lines) are underground. Each station has TAP Card machines, maps, electronic displays, and public artwork. All stations are accessible with elevators or ramps.

The underground stations are larger and have two levels. The top level is where passengers can buy tickets. The bottom level is where passengers board trains. The underground stations are built to withstand earthquakes.

 Fares 
To travel on Metro Rail, all passengers need a Transit Access Pass (TAP) card. Riders can buy the card and add money to it at TAP Card machines at every station, at certain retail locations, or by using a mobile app. With a TAP card, one can switch between Metro lines for free within two hours after starting their ride. There are fare inspectors throughout the system who check if someone has a valid TAP card.  

Since July 2023, Metro has replaced its 1-Day, 7-Day, and 30-Day passes with fare capping. This means that riders never pay more than $5 (for up to 3 rides) in a day or $18 (for up to 11 rides) within seven days. Fares for students, seniors, disabled, or low-income riders are cheaper. The table below shows the different fare types and their prices:
Fare typeRegularSenior (62+)
Disabled/MedicareStudents
(K-12; College)Low Income One-way trip$1.75$0.35 (all other times)
$0.75 (rush hours)$0.7520 free rides then Regular fare1-Day Cap$5$2.50$2.507-Day Cap$18$5$6

 Safety 
The Los Angeles Metro Rail has the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department watch around half of the system's trains and stations. The Los Angeles Police Department is also responsible for stations in the city of Los Angeles. Security staff monitor the system via closed-circuit television cameras.

 History 
In the 1970s, people started wanting the return of rail transit. This was because traffic was increasing on the county's freeways and roads. Also, gas prices and the population of the area were growing quickly. During the decade, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) began planning the first new train lines. In 1980, Proposition A was passed to pay for the construction of the new lines. 

The Blue Line (now the A Line) was the first light rail line in Los Angeles constructed since Proposition A. It opened on July 14, 1990. It initially ran from Downtown Long Beach to Downtown Los Angeles at 7th Street/Metro Center station. From its start, the line was very popular.  

Los Angeles's first rapid transit lines (B and D) opened later in January 1993. The light rail system continued to expand with the C Line in 1995, the L Line in 2003 (now part of the A and E Lines), and the E Line in 2012. The newest line, the K Line, opened in 2022.

 References 


Category:Rapid transit systems in the United States
Category:Light rail in the United States
Category:1990 establishments in California
Category:Transport in California
Category:Los Angeles County, California