Metro will celebrate the grand opening of its A (Gold) Line Extension Project today, marking the return of local rail service to eastern San Gabriel Valley communities for the first time since 1951. The $1.5 billion expansion adds 9.1 miles to the existing 48.5-mile A Line, extending service from Pasadena’s current terminus in Azusa to new stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring confetti cannons is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Pomona North Station, located at 241 Santa Fe St., according to Metro’s public statement. Metro Board Chair and Whittier City Councilmember Fernando Dutra will deliver remarks alongside Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins and Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, who also serves on the Metro Board.
Actor and podcast host Wil Wheaton will emcee the event. Additional speakers include Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority CEO Habib Balian, University of La Verne President Risa Dickson and Olympic athletes Jajaira Gonzalez and Samantha Bosco.
Following the ceremony, Metro will host its “Rock the Rails” celebration, inviting guests to explore the four new stations — Pomona North, La Verne/Pomona Fairplex, San Dimas and Glendora — with live local bands, DJs and food trucks from the San Gabriel Valley area. Revenue service begins at noon.
The extension restores rail access to communities that lost service when the Pacific Electric Railway ceased operations in 1951. For Pasadena riders, the new segment enhances connectivity to regional destinations including colleges, parks, museums, hospitals and entertainment venues. It also links to the Pomona Fairplex, which will host cricket events during the 2028 Olympic Games, and to Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line for travel into the Inland Empire.
The project is part of Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ’28 initiative to expand public transit ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In January, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority — an independent agency created by the state in 1998 — announced the project had reached “substantial completion” on time and on budget, and transferred it to Metro for final testing and approvals.
Funding sources included Los Angeles County’s Measure M and Measure R sales taxes, along with a nearly $300 million grant from the California State Transportation Agency’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program.
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