Metro celebrated the grand opening of its A (Gold) Line Extension Project Friday, bringing new local rail service through Pasadena to the San Gabriel Valley cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona.
Metro hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring an inaugural A Line train breaking through a commemorative banner as confetti cannons exploded overhead at the new Pomona North Station, located at 241 Santa Fe St. Following the ceremony, Metro provided an opportunity for guests to explore the four new stations — Pomona North Station, La Verne/Pomona Fairplex, San Dimas and Glendora — as part of its Rock the Rails event, which featured DJs, live local bands and food trucks from the San Gabriel Valley area.
The $1.5 billion light rail project added another 9.1 miles to the 48.5-mile Long Beach to Azusa Metro Line. Completion of the line will boost public transportation access for communities in the SGV, which have lacked rail service since 1951 when the Pacific Electric Railway ceased its operations.
Travelers can now visit regional destinations by rail such as major colleges and universities, parks, historic downtown, museums, hospitals, medical centers, retail, and entertainment venues.
Riders are able to connect to the Pomona Fairplex, where cricket sporting events will make their official return to the 2028 Olympic Games for the first time since 1900.
Additionally, the new Metro A Line Pomona North Station will connect with Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line — a gateway to the Inland Empire.
“The A Line will connect Angelenos to a wealth of destinations from the foothills to the beaches,” Metro Board Chair and Whittier City Councilman Fernando Dutra said in a statement. “Now more Eastern San Gabriel Valley residents can take Metro to cities like Pasadena, downtown Los Angeles, South L.A. and Long Beach, boosting mobility in communities that haven’t been served by rail for decades.”
Dutra provided remarks alongside Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins and Metro Board member and Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval.
Wil Wheaton, actor and podcast host, served as the event emcee.
Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority CEO Habib Balian, University of La Verne President Risa Dickson and Olympic athletes Jajaira Gonzalez and Samantha Bosco were also in attendance to celebrate the momentous occasion.
“From students and daily commuters to visitors and retirees, the Metro A Line is a vital link to dozens of schools, world-class medical facilities, major job and innovation hubs, and some of our county’s most treasured cultural and entertainment destinations,” L.A. County Supervisor and Metro 2nd Vice Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement.
Travel times between Los Angeles Union Station and the Glendora and Pomona Stations will range from 52 to 64 minutes respectively. A similar 30- mile drive between Union Station and Pomona via the I-10 freeway, for example, could easily take an hour and a half or longer during peak commute periods, according to Metro.
Trains will operate every eight minutes during peak service weekdays, 10 minutes off-peak weekday and daytime weekend service, and every 20 minutes during evening/late-night service. Additionally, several Foothill Transit bus lines will directly serve the new rail stations.
Each new station includes public parking with about 300 packing spaces each, totaling 1,200 combined spaces. The sites also feature areas for passenger drop-off, rideshare users, bicycle parking and electrical vehicle chargers.
“This expansion marks a new chapter in L.A. County’s transit history and represents a landmark investment in sustainable mobility. It will enhance regional connectivity, reduce emissions, and improve quality of life for our communities,” County Supervisor and Metro Board member Hilda Solis said in a statement.
The project is also part of Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ’28 initiative to bolster public transportation in the county 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 light rail project reached “substantial completion” on time and on budget. The project was turned over to Metro for final testing and other approvals.
L.A. County’s Measure M, a 2016 half-cent sales tax for traffic, infrastructure and transportation projects, provided a majority of funding for the light rail.
Metro officials used another $100 million generated from Measure R — a half-cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2008 for transportation projects and programs — to complete the now-operational Pasadena to Azusa segment.
In 2018, CalSTA’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital program provided a nearly $300 million grant for this extension as well.
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