K Line (Los Angeles Metro)

K Line
Company type	Public transit line
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	October 7, 2022; 4 years ago
Headquarters	Los Angeles, United States
Area served	Los Angeles County, California
Products	Light rail transit service
Owner	Los Angeles Metro
Website	www.metro.net

The K Line is a light rail route within Los Angeles County, California, forming part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail network managed by Los Angeles Metro. Officially inaugurated on October 7, 2022, it stands as the most recent addition to the system's named lines. This corridor extends in a north-south direction linking Jefferson Park and Redondo Beach, with stops at significant locations such as Westchester, South Los Angeles, and Inglewood. Additionally, it provides access to Los Angeles International Airport through the LAX/Metro Transit Center.

On November 3, 2024, operational modifications were implemented on both the K and C lines to facilitate pre-revenue testing activities at the forthcoming LAX/Metro Transit Center, which officially opened on June 6, 2025. The western endpoint of the C Line was relocated to this new station, while the southern portion of the K Line now runs between Aviation/Century and Redondo Beach stations. The anticipated LAX Automated People Mover, set to begin service in 2026, will enable seamless connections from the LAX/Metro Transit Center directly to airport terminals.

Route description

The line’s northern endpoint is situated at Expo/Crenshaw station, an underground hub offering transfers to the E Line. Though there is no direct track linkage with the surface-level E Line, infrastructure exists to support a planned northward expansion known as the K Line Northern Extension. The route follows Crenshaw Boulevard southward from Exposition Boulevard down to 67th Street, including passage through a deep-bore tunnel. Between 48th and 59th Streets along Crenshaw Boulevard’s median, trains operate at street level with traffic signal coordination. From 59th to 67th Streets, the line re-enters a shallow cut-and-cover tunnel spanning approximately .

Heading further south, the alignment emerges onto the former Harbor Subdivision right-of-way adjacent to Florence Avenue and Aviation Boulevard. This section predominantly features at-grade operations within an exclusive corridor, incorporating elevated viaducts that cross major thoroughfares like La Brea Avenue, I-405, and Manchester Avenue. Near 96th Street lies the LAX/Metro Transit Center, serving as the western terminus for the C Line and linking to the future LAX Automated People Mover. Continuing onward, both lines traverse over Century Boulevard and briefly enter an open trench close to LAX runways. At a rail junction (wye) above Imperial Highway west of Aviation/Imperial station, the C Line branches off toward , while the K Line proceeds southward on an elevated structure through El Segundo, culminating at Redondo Beach station.

Hours and frequency

Time	4-8A	8A-8P	8P-12A
Weekdays	10		20
Weekends/Holidays	20	10	20

Station listing

The K Line includes 13 stations arranged from north to south:

Station	Opened	City (Neighborhood)	Major connections and notes
Template:LAMs	October 7, 2022	Los Angeles (Jefferson Park)	Template:LACMTA icon Park and ride: 450 spaces (closed Sunday)
Template:LAMs		Los Angeles (Baldwin Hills/Leimert Park)
Template:LAMs		Los Angeles (Leimert Park)
Template:LAMs		Los Angeles (Hyde Park)
Template:LAMs		Inglewood	Park and ride: 200 spaces
Template:LAMs		Inglewood
Template:LAMs		Los Angeles (Westchester)
Template:LAMs	June 6, 2025		Template:LACMTA icon LAX via Shuttle LAX Automated People Mover (2026) SoFi Stadium via shuttle bus
Template:LAMs	November 3, 2024		Template:LACMTA icon
Template:LAMs	August 12, 1995	El Segundo
Template:LAMs			Park and ride: 93 spaces
Template:LAMs			Park and ride: 30 spaces
Template:LAMs		Hawthorne and Redondo Beach	Park and ride: 450 spaces

Ridership

Year	Ridership	% Change
2022	257,765	—
2023	998,245	+287%
2024	1,148,255	+15%

Source: Metro

Initial transit concepts

One of the initial ambitions of Los Angeles transit planners was to extend the C Line (previously known as the Green Line) directly to Los Angeles International Airport. Early studies conducted in 1984 and 1988 proposed routes from Aviation/LAX station heading northeast towards LAX and the Westchester area, resembling plans later developed for the second phase of the Sepulveda Transit Corridor. Although a branch line to LAX was envisioned, concerns emerged that passengers might avoid the route if it required passing through the airport on their commute. Moreover, the Federal Aviation Administration expressed apprehension that overhead electrical lines could disrupt aircraft approach paths. Given uncertain support from both LAX authorities and Los Angeles City Hall, extension plans were put on hold. Instead, to provide service for El Segundo’s aerospace industry, the line was extended southward to Redondo Beach station. Access to LAX currently involves transferring to a shuttle bus at the Aviation/LAX station.

Crenshaw/LAX Line development

Following the 1992 Los Angeles riots, plans were made for a north–south transit line along Crenshaw Boulevard aimed at improving mobility for transit-reliant communities and fostering economic revitalization in South Los Angeles. Historically served by Los Angeles Railway streetcars until 1955, this corridor would connect the E and C lines via Crenshaw and Florence Boulevards, incorporating a wye track junction linking the K Line to the C Line near Aviation/LAX station. The project included a station dedicated to serving LAX Airport (Aviation/Century), realizing a connection concept dating back to the 1980s. Support for this line was strongly advocated by State Senator Diane Watson and County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke.

Initiated with a Major Investment Study in 1993, the project progressed to a Final Environmental Impact Report completed in 2011. The Federal Transit Administration granted construction approval in 2012, with funding secured through Measure R. Heavy construction commenced in June 2014. Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas championed tunneling and grade separation efforts, resulting in an additional underground station at Leimert Park.

The corridor was officially named the K Line in November 2019. However, its opening was postponed from an anticipated 2019 date to no sooner than May 2021 due to improperly installed concrete supports that required significant remediation. By June 17, 2022, construction was largely finalized.

Although completed, direct connections between this line and both the C Line and LAX will not be operational until late 2024. Metro is building a new LAX/Metro Transit Center station designed to provide convenient transfers to airport terminals via the LAX Automated People Mover system. At present, service operates between Expo/Crenshaw and Westchester/Veterans stations, with shuttle bus options available for transfers to LAX shuttles and the C Line at Aviation/LAX station. The northern segment of the line began service on October 7, 2022.

Coordination with the C Line

Several service configurations were considered to link the finished K Line with the existing C Line, involving shared track segments and infrastructure. Initial ideas to operate trains through all three branches of the wye were dismissed by Metro due to concerns over accelerated wear on switch components.

The discussion over service patterns was highly debated. By 2018, as the line neared completion, Metro's board chose to override staff advice for a single continuous route between Expo/Crenshaw and Norwalk stations. Instead, they authorized a one-year trial combining an Expo-to-Norwalk service with a separate line running from Redondo Beach to Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station, enabling easier transfers to the A and J Lines. Although this approach raised operational costs, it maintained improved transfer options for residents in the South Bay area.

Construction setbacks led to a reevaluation in 2022, with Metro proposing community engagement to redesign the operating plan prior to integrating with the C Line in 2024. In March 2023, Metro expressed preference for Option 2: operating the K Line on a north-south axis between Expo/Crenshaw and Redondo Beach, while the C Line would run west-east connecting LAX and Norwalk. On June 22, 2023, Metro’s board formally endorsed Option 2, reflecting staff recommendations and public feedback.

LAX/Metro Transit Center

Originally, the line was planned to connect with LAX via an Automated People Mover (APM), but the precise connection location was initially unclear. Metro anticipated linking at Aviation/Century station; however, the selected APM alignment crossed the rail line near 96th Street, approximately half a mile north, requiring construction of an additional station.

In 2014, Metro approved plans for this new station—initially named Aviation/96th or Airport Metro Connector—later designated as the LAX/Metro Transit Center. This station functions as Metro Rail’s main access point to LAX, while Aviation/Century station continues serving the Century Boulevard corridor.

Due to delays in opening the main line, significant construction at the LAX/Metro Transit Center remained ongoing when service began on October 7, 2022, initially running only between Expo/Crenshaw station and Westchester/Veterans station.

The final operational patterns for both the C Line and K Line commenced November 3, 2024, coinciding with the opening of Aviation/Century station. Meanwhile, the segment extending from Westchester/Veterans to Aviation/Century—including the LAX/Metro Transit Center—underwent pre-revenue testing ahead of passenger service launch. The LAX/Metro Transit Center officially opened on June 6, 2025.

Platform expansions

Although K Line stations were constructed to support three-car trains, former C Line stations located south of Interstate 105 currently accommodate only two-car trains. To boost capacity, Metro intends to extend platforms at Aviation/Imperial station, Mariposa station, Douglas station, and Redondo Beach station. This initiative also involves installing new traction power substations and upgrading catenary wires and track ties. In April 2023, the state granted Metro $95 million toward this $141 million project, which is slated for completion prior to the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Southern extension toward South Bay

Los Angeles Metro is currently performing an environmental assessment for a proposed K Line extension stretching southeast from Redondo Beach toward the South Bay area, utilizing the Harbor Subdivision corridor to reach the Torrance Regional Transit Center (RTC). Two potential routes are being evaluated: one featuring an elevated light rail along Hawthorne Boulevard, and another at-grade alignment following a BNSF track adjacent to Condon Avenue.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) was published in January 2023 after funding of $619 million was reinstated through Measure M. This extension spans roughly 4.5 miles from Redondo Beach to the Torrance Transit Center. Construction is planned to commence in 2026, with service anticipated to begin between 2030 and 2033, possibly expedited by the Twenty-eight by '28 program.

After the completion of Aviation/Century station and associated service adjustments on November 3, 2024, this project was incorporated into the K Line extension framework, although the official designation remains unchanged.

Northern extension toward Hollywood

The initial Crenshaw/LAX Line blueprint connected Wilshire Boulevard directly to Los Angeles International Airport. However, after adopting light rail technology, budget overruns led to postponing the segment north of Exposition Boulevard until adequate funds were secured.

The final design for Crenshaw/LAX included a subterranean station at to facilitate a future northern expansion, increasing project costs by $236 million.

With the approval of Measure M and significant backing from West Hollywood, development of the K Line Northern Extension is underway. This extension will proceed north from Expo/Crenshaw, linking with the B and D lines. Three alternatives are being examined, all concluding at the B Line's Hollywood/Highland station, with an optional stop near the Hollywood Bowl. The San Vicente Alternative (a hybrid route) follows Crenshaw Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard, then proceeds north along Fairfax Avenue to serve locations such as The Original Farmers Market and Television City. It then continues along Beverly Boulevard near Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, heading toward West Hollywood at Pacific Design Center, with additional stations on Santa Monica Boulevard before entering Hollywood. The other two proposals suggest conventional north–south alignments along Fairfax or La Brea Avenue.

Operations

The K Line is identified as line 807 on Metro Rail schedules.

Maintenance

Maintenance for the K Line is conducted at Division 16 (Southwestern Yard) located in Westchester, adjacent to the northern runways of Los Angeles International Airport and the LAX/Metro Transit Center. Access to the yard is provided through crossovers positioned at both ends of the facility.

File:K Line train at Crenshaw and Slauson.jpg

A northbound K Line train passing through Hyde Park

Rolling stock

As of 2024, operations on the K Line utilize exclusively the Kinki Sharyo P3010 vehicles, which run in single- or double-car configurations. Metro intends to lengthen platforms south of station to accommodate future three-car trainsets.

Incident

On February 18, 2023, a cement mixer and a northbound train collided at the Cedar Avenue crossing located between and stations.

External links