The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) opened the long-awaited Regional Connector to the public on June 16, completely redrawing Metro’s rail service map in the process.

“The 1.9 miles of new track laid allows light-rail trains to travel between Union Station and the busy 7th St./Metro Center Station in downtown LA’s Financial District,” according to an article by Brandon Lewis for Mass Transit magazine. “Bridging the gap allows L.A. Metro to merge the hook-shaped L (Gold) line with the A (Blue) and E (Expo) lines, creating two serpent-like train lines where there were once three.”

In effect, the two newly formed lines allow one-seat light rail rides from Azusa to Long Beach on the A Line, and East L.A. to Santa Monica on the E Line. The project overcame delays in 2019 and a lawsuit in 2012 to come to fruition.

The new project also delivered three new underground stations to serve the newly formed A and B lines in downtown—the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, the Historic Broadway Station, and the Grand Avenue/Bunker Hill Station.  

Local coverage of the Regional Connector’s contribution to transit in Los Angeles is available from L.A. Taco and the Los Angeles Times [paywall]. See also Metro’s Regional Connector Transit Project page for more information.