Metro E Line

Metro E Line
Name	E Line
Type	Light rail
System	Los Angeles Metro Rail
Locale	Los Angeles County, California
Start	East Los Angeles, California
End	Santa Monica, California
Stations	44
Open	2012 (initial segments), 2023 (Westside extension)
Owner	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Operator	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Character	At-grade, elevated, subway
Depot	Division 20 (Los Angeles Metro)
Stock	Kinki Sharyo P3010, Siemens P2000
Linelength	22.0 mi
Electrification	Third rail (overhead catenary in subway segments)

Metro E Line The E Line is a light rail line in Los Angeles County, California connecting East Los Angeles, California and Santa Monica, California. It forms a major east–west transit corridor serving Downtown Los Angeles, the Westside, and communities including Culver City, California, Venice, Los Angeles, and Exposition Park. The line is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and integrates with the A Line, B Line, D Line, and K Line at key transfer points.

Route description

The route runs from East Los Angeles, California through Union Station and 7th Street/Metro Center station in Downtown Los Angeles westward via the Exposition Right-of-Way across University of Southern California, Exposition Park, and the University of California, Los Angeles corridor to Santa Monica College and downtown Santa Monica, California. Major interchanges include Pico Station for access to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Staples Center, and L.A. Live, and Expo/Vermont Station linking to the Red Line corridors. The alignment uses a mix of at-grade running along former freight right-of-way, elevated structures near Culver City, and subway sections under Downtown Los Angeles and the Westwood corridor, traversing neighborhoods like Boyle Heights and Mar Vista.

History

Planning roots trace to earlier proposals such as the Blue Line studies and the Mid-City/Exposition Light Rail Transit Project during the 1990s and 2000s. Construction of the initial Exposition segments occurred under the oversight of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority with federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration and local measures including Measure R. Major milestones included opening to Culver City, California and western extensions toward Santa Monica, California following environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. Extensions intersected regional projects like the Crenshaw/LAX Line and were coordinated with municipal partners in Santa Monica, California and Culver City, California.

Operations and service

Service is provided by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority with headways varying by time of day; peak operations maintain frequent intervals comparable to other Los Angeles Metro Rail lines such as the A Line and B Line. The E Line operates integrated fare policies under the Metro TAP card program and connects with bus rapid transit on corridors served by Metro Rapid and local bus routes managed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Operations coordinate with regional agencies like the Southern California Association of Governments for service planning and with labor represented by unions such as the Transport Workers Union of America.

Stations

Stations serve transit hubs and cultural destinations including Union Station, 7th Street/Metro Center station, Jefferson/USC Station, Culver City Station, and Downtown Santa Monica station. Many stops offer multimodal connections to Los Angeles International Airport shuttle services via LAX FlyAway, local municipal bus systems such as Big Blue Bus and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and bicycle infrastructure coordinated with Los Angeles Department of Transportation projects. Stations incorporate public art commissions from organizations such as the Public Art Fund and are sited near landmarks including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Santa Monica Pier.

Rolling stock and technology

Rolling stock includes Kinki Sharyo P3010 vehicles and remaining Siemens P2000 units, featuring low-floor accessibility compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, onboard systems from suppliers like Siemens and Alstom, and automated train control interfaces interoperable with Positive Train Control frameworks. Electrification uses overhead catenary systems along much of the surface alignment with third rail or equivalent in tunnel segments, and maintenance operations occur at facilities including Division 20 (Los Angeles Metro) and other Metro rail yards. Fare collection uses the TAP system with back-office integration for real-time passenger information provided through partnerships with firms such as Google and Transit.

Ridership and performance

Ridership levels have varied with major events like the 2028 Summer Olympics planning impacts and regional trends following public health events including the COVID-19 pandemic. Peak weekday counts reflect heavy use through Downtown Los Angeles and the UCLA corridor, with performance metrics tracked by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and regional planners at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Southern California Association of Governments. On-time performance, safety incidents, and customer satisfaction are reported in Metro’s quarterly performance reports and coordinated with oversight bodies such as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors.

Future developments and expansions

Planned projects include potential infill stations, capacity upgrades tied to regional funding measures like Measure M, and transit-oriented development near stops in partnership with cities including Santa Monica, California and Culver City, California. Long-range strategies consider further extensions to connect with projects such as the LAX Automated People Mover and enhancements to bus-rail integration with agencies like Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Environmental review under California Environmental Quality Act processes and federal coordination through the Federal Transit Administration will guide any major expansions.

Category:Los Angeles Metro Rail