| K Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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 K Line test train running alongsideFlorence Avenue inInglewood, August 2022 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Other names | Crenshaw/LAX Line Green Line/C Line (south of Aviation/Century) | ||
| Owner | Los Angeles Metro | ||
| Line number | 807 | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 13 | ||
| Website | metro | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Light rail | ||
| System | Los Angeles Metro Rail | ||
| Depot(s) | Division 16 (Westchester) Division 22 (Hawthorne) | ||
| Rolling stock | Kinki Sharyo P3010 running in 1 or 2 car consists | ||
| Daily ridership | 7,916 (weekday, June 2025) [1] | ||
| Ridership | 1,244,417 (2024) 24.7% | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | October 7, 2022; 3 years ago (2022-10-07)[2] | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 11 mi (18 km)[3] | ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Character | At-grade in exclusiveright of way, with underground and aerial sections | ||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 750 V DC | ||
| Operating speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) (max.) 20 mph (32 km/h) (avg.) | ||
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TheK Line is alight rail line inLos Angeles County, California. It is one of six lines in theLos Angeles Metro Rail system operated byLos Angeles Metro, and is the newest named line in the system, having opened on October 7, 2022. The 11-mile (17.7 km) line runs roughly north-south betweenJefferson Park and the city ofRedondo Beach, passing through the neighborhoods ofWestchester,South Los Angeles, and the city ofInglewood. It also provides service to theLos Angeles International Airport through theLAX/Metro Transit Center.
As part of service changes implemented on November 3, 2024, in preparation for the opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Center, the segment of theC Line west ofAviation/Imperial station became part of the K Line.
The northern terminus is atExpo/Crenshaw station, a transfer point to theE Line. The K Line station here is underground and does not provide a track connection to the at-grade E Line. Provisions are in place to allow the line toextend further north. The route followsCrenshaw Boulevard from Exposition Boulevard south to 67th Street. It travels underground in a one-mile (1.6 km)deep-bore tunnel, which transitions into an at-grade segment in the median of Crenshaw Boulevard (between 48th and 59th Streets) where trains run synchronized to existing traffic signals. From 59th and 67th Streets, the line returns underground into a shallowcut-and-cover tunnel for a half-mile (0.8 km).
South of there, the route emerges from the tunnel and enters theHarbor Subdivisionright of way, which runs parallel toFlorence Avenue andAviation Boulevard. The line mostly operates at-grade in this exclusive right-of-way, briefly transitioning onto elevated viaducts to cross over major thoroughfares includingLa Brea Avenue,Interstate 405 (I-405), andManchester Avenue. Near 96th Street, the K Line serves theLAX/Metro Transit Center, the western terminus of theC Line, which will function as a transfer point to the futureLAX Automated People Mover. Continuing south, the C and K lines cross overCentury Boulevard before briefly entering an open trench as they pass close to the LAX runways.[4] The lines eventually reach awye aboveImperial Highway west ofAviation/Imperial station, where the C Line splits off toNorwalk. The K Line then heads roughly south on an elevated structure throughEl Segundo before ending atRedondo Beach station.[5][6][7]
K Line service hours are approximately from 4:30 a.m. until 12:00 a.m. daily. Trains operate every 10 minutes throughout most of the day. Trains run every 20 minutes after 8:00 p.m. every day and before 8:00 a.m. on weekends.[8]
| Time | 4–7a | 8a–8p | 9p–12a |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 10 | 20 | |
| Weekends/Holidays | 20 | 10 | 20 |
The K Line serves 13 stations. The following is the complete list of stations, from north to south:
| Station | Opened | City (Neighborhood) | Major connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expo/Crenshaw | October 7, 2022[2] | Los Angeles (Jefferson Park) |  Park and ride: 450 spaces (closed Sunday) |
| Martin Luther King Jr. | Los Angeles (Baldwin Hills/Leimert Park) | ||
| Leimert Park | Los Angeles (Leimert Park) | ||
| Hyde Park | Los Angeles (Hyde Park) | ||
| Fairview Heights | Inglewood | Park and ride: 200 spaces | |
| Downtown Inglewood | |||
| Westchester/Veterans | Los Angeles (Westchester) | ||
| LAX/Metro Transit Center | June 6, 2025[9] |   LAX viaLAX ShuttleLAX Automated People Mover (2026)[10] SoFi Stadium viashuttle bus | |
| Aviation/Century | November 3, 2024[6] | | |
| Mariposa | August 12, 1995[a] | El Segundo | |
| El Segundo | Park and ride: 93 spaces | ||
| Douglas | Park and ride: 30 spaces | ||
| Redondo Beach | Hawthorne andRedondo Beach[b] | Park and ride: 450 spaces |
| Year | Ridership | %± |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 257,765 | — |
| 2023 | 998,245 | +287.3% |
| 2024 | 1,148,255 | +15.0% |
| Source: Metro[11] | ||
Extending theC Line (formerly the Green Line) toLos Angeles International Airport was an early goal of Los Angeles transit planners. Studies in 1984 and 1988 outlined routes from the Aviation/LAX station, running northeast toLAX andWestchester, similar to later plans for the second phase of theSepulveda Transit Corridor.[12] Although planners planned to add a spur towards LAX, they did not include it over fears that commuters would not use the line if they had to go through the airport on the way to work.[13] The proposed extension to LAX was further complicated by concerns from theFederal Aviation Administration that theoverhead lines of the rail line would interfere with the landing paths of airplanes. Amid ambivalence at LAX and L.A. City Hall, the plans to extend the line to the airport were shelved.[14] To serve the once bustling aerospace sector in El Segundo, the line went south toRedondo Beach station.[13] Access to the airport requires connecting to a shuttle bus at the Aviation/LAX station.[15]
A north–south line along Crenshaw Boulevard was planned following the1992 Los Angeles riots as a way to better serve transit-dependent residents in the corridor while at the same time providing stimulus for positive economic growth in theSouth Los Angeles region.[16] The corridor was originally served byLos Angeles RailwayLine 5 yellowstreetcars until 1955 when the service was replaced with buses.[16] The proposed line would link the E and C lines via Crenshaw and Florence, and a wye would be constructed to connect the K Line tracks to the C Line tracks near the Aviation/LAX station. There would also be a station serving the LAX Airport (Aviation/Century station), completing the LAX connection envisioned by planners in the 1980s.[17] The new line was championed by State SenatorDiane Watson and County SupervisorYvonne Brathwaite Burke, both representing portions of the corridor.
AMajor Investment Study was initiated in 1993,[18] and after more than a decade of study, a Final Environmental Impact Report was completed in May 2011.[19] TheFTA gave its approval to build the line in 2012,[20] and heavy construction began in June 2014, funded byMeasure R.[21]Los Angeles County SupervisorMark Ridley-Thomas was a key advocate for tunneling and othergrade separation along the line. He also convinced Metro in 2013 to add an extra underground station atLeimert Park (Crenshaw/Vernon).[22][23][24][25]
The route was designated as the K Line in November 2019.[26] Originally scheduled to open in 2019, the project saw repeated delays. In April 2020, Metro announced that the completion date for the project would be pushed to no earlier than May 2021 due to construction issues. The support structures for bridges and tunnels had concreteplinths that were incorrectly installed, requiring extensive repairs to sections where tracks had already been installed.[27] The K Line was substantially complete on June 17, 2022.[28]
Even with the line's completion, it won't connect to the C Line or LAX until late 2024. Metro is currently constructing a new station at the LAX/Metro Transit Center, providing Metro riders a seamless transfer to theairport terminals via the LAX Automated People Mover system.[29][30][31] During construction, Metro is only operating the K Line from Expo/Crenshaw station to Westchester/Veterans station with a shuttle service providing passengers access to the LAX shuttle and the C Line at Aviation/LAX station.[32] The northern portion of the line ultimately opened on October 7, 2022.[2]
Varying service patterns have been proposed for integrating the completed K Line into the rest of the system over the course of its planning and construction, all of which have involved sharing trackage and infrastructure facilities with the existing C Line. Although some early proposals would have sent trains through all three directions of the wye, this was rejected by Metro because it would cause too much wear and tear on thetrack switch mechanisms.[33][34]
The debate over service patterns proved somewhat contentious.[35] In 2018, with the line then scheduled to open within the year, the Metro board of directors overrode a recommendation by operations staff that would have had a single line operating between Expo/Crenshaw andNorwalk station. Passengers from the Redondo Beach area would have been served by a shuttle to the LAX area, where they would need to transfer to another train to continue east or north. Instead, board members approved a one-year pilot of a configuration that would combine an Expo-to-Norwalk line with another line that would connect Redondo Beach withWillowbrook/Rosa Parks station, allowing transfers to theA andJ Lines.[36][37] The approved plan would have incurred higher operating expenses but board members argued it would retain better transfer opportunities forSouth Bay residents.[38]
Ongoing construction delays led to a reassessment of that plan in 2022. Metro recommended public outreach aimed at reformulating the operating plan before the connection to the C Line opens in 2024;[39] in March 2023, Metro indicated that it would recommend Option 2 in the figure above, in which the K Line would run north–south between Expo/Crenshaw and Redondo Beach, while the C Line would run west-east between LAX and Norwalk.[40] On June 22, 2023, Metro's board of directors officially approved the implementation ofOption 2 based on staff recommendation and public opinion.[5]
The line was from its inception intended to offer a connection to LAX via an Automated People Mover (APM). However, at the time the line was designed, it was unclear where exactly that connection would take place. While Metro expected that the connection would be at Aviation/Century station, ultimately the route chosen for theLAX Automated People Mover intersected with the new line at 96th Street, about half a mile to the north, requiring the design of an additional station while the overall line was still under construction.
In 2014, Metro approved the planning and scoping of this station, which was called Aviation/96th station and the Airport Metro Connector in planning documents but was ultimately designated theLAX/Metro Transit Center.[41][42] This station was intended to serve as Metro Rail's main gateway to the airport itself, while the Aviation/Century station will serve destinations along the busyCentury Boulevard corridor.
While initial plans called for the full length of the project to be opened for service while the LAX/Metro Transit Center was under development, delays in the opening of the main line meant that major construction on the station was already underway by the time the line was ready. As a result, the line opened on October 7, 2022 only fromExpo/Crenshaw station toWestchester/Veterans station.[2]
TheC Line and K lines began operating along their final service patterns on November 3, 2024, withAviation/Century station opening.[6] However, the segment of both lines between Westchester/Veterans station and Aviation/Century station, including the LAX/Metro Transit Center, would not provide passenger service for a period of pre-revenue testing before the LAX/Metro Transit Center opened.[39][43][7] The LAX/Metro Transit Center opened on June 6, 2025.[9]
While the stations on the K Line were built to accommodate three-car trains, the former C Line stations built south ofInterstate 105 were only built to accommodate two-car trains. To enable increased capacity of the line, Metro plans to lengthen the platforms atAviation/Imperial station,Mariposa station,Douglas station, andRedondo Beach station. The project would also add traction power substations and replace catenary wire and track ties.[44] In April 2023, the state awarded Metro $95 million for the project, which is expected to cost $141 million. The project is expected to be complete in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.[45]
Los Angeles Metro is currently working on the initial environmental study of a corridor extension of the K Line from its Redondo Beach terminus toward the southeast. TheC Line Extension would roughly follow theHarbor Subdivision ROW into the South Bay, to theTorrance Regional Transit Center (RTC).[46]Metro and the public are considering two alternatives in the DEIR: an elevated light-rail extension along Hawthorne Boulevard, and an at-grade extension along a BNSF line beside Condon Avenue. The study of the South Bay Extension will lead to the publication of a DraftEnvironmental Impact Report (DEIR). The study was expected to be completed in 2011. The project was placed on hold in the spring of 2012 due to uncertain funding. With the passage of Measure M in 2016, $619 million was cited for the Green Line Extension south, and the study resumed. The DEIR was released in January 2023.[47] The study area includes the former Harbor Subdivision right of way. The extension study includes theRedondo Beach station to theTorrance Transit Center, a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) extension study area.[48]
In January 2026, Metro's Planning and Programming Committee was scheduled to consider certifying the FEIR for the project at its January 14, 2026 meeting.[49] However, the committee voted to postpone the certification decision to the board of directors' meeting on January 22, 2026, following political opposition from local residents,[50] with the board ultimately unanimously approving Alternative 3 as the LPA instead of the Hybrid Alternative.[51]
The project became an extension of the K Line upon the completion ofAviation/Century station, along with its associated service changes, on November 3, 2024, though Metro has yet to change the project's official name.[6]
The original plans for the Crenshaw/LAX Line project connectedWilshire Boulevard to Los Angeles International Airport. However, oncelight rail was selected as the preferred mode, the cost for the entire route exceeded the project budget, so part of the corridor north of Exposition Boulevard was deferred until funds became available.
The final design for the Crenshaw/LAX project included a tunneled station atExpo/Crenshaw to accommodate a potential northward extension, which increased the cost of the original project by $236 million.[52]
With the passage ofMeasure M and the enthusiastic support of the city ofWest Hollywood, the K Line Northern Extension, which would travel north from the current Expo/Crenshaw terminus, connecting along the way to theB andD lines, is currently under development. Three options are being studied, all ending at the B Line'sHollywood/Highland station, with an optional station at theHollywood Bowl also being considered. The San Vicente Alternative, also known as the hybrid alternative, followsCrenshaw Boulevard andSan Vicente Boulevard, turning north onFairfax Avenue to serveThe Original Farmers Market andTelevision City before turning onBeverly Boulevard to connect back to San Vicente Boulevard nearCedars-Sinai Medical Center towardsWest Hollywood atPacific Design Center. Finally, serving new stations onSanta Monica Boulevard, the route curves north again towardsHollywood. The other two options follow a traditional north–south routing on either Fairfax Avenue orLa Brea Avenue.
On Metro Rail's internal timetables, the K Line is called line807.
The K Line is operated out of Division 22 (Hawthorne Yard & Shop) and Division 16 (Southwestern Yard). These yards store the fleet used on the K Line. Light maintenance is performed on the fleet in Division 22, while heavier maintenance is conducted in Division 16. Division 22 is located betweenRedondo Beach andDouglas stations. Trains enter the yard via a junction halfway between the two stations. Northbound trains may enter, but there is no exit track to continue north. Southbound trains may enter and exit the yard to continue south. Division 16 is located inWestchester, directly east of the northern runways ofLos Angeles International Airport (LAX), and adjacent to theLAX/Metro Transit Center. Trains access the yard via crossovers from the north and south sides of the yard.
As of 2024, theKinki Sharyo P3010 is the only rolling stock to serve the K Line. Trains run in one- or two-car consists. Metro is planning to extend the platforms south ofAviation/Century station to be able to eventually accommodate up to three-car trains.[44]
 A Line |
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 G Line | |
 J Line | |
 K Line | |
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