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D Line will reopen Saturday as first phase of extension nears completion
A test train running through the soon-to-open Wilshire/La Brea D Line station.
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L.A. Metro
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Topline:
The D Line will resume service to its longtime terminus at Wilshire and Western at 4 a.m. Saturday after being closed for 70 days. Three stops farther west are expected to open in the fall on the subway formerly known as the Purple Line.
Why was it closed? Los Angeles Metro paused service on May 17. The temporary closure allowed crews to prepare the train for its forthcoming extension, including working on the systems that control underground air quality and ventilation.
Dip in June ridership: The temporary closure is one of the factors Metro said contributed to a 6% dip in ridership in June, compared with the same period last year. Other factors, including federal immigration enforcement and related protests, also likely contributed. You can read more about that here.
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The opening of the extension: Metro said in a blog post that the first phase of the D Line extension is “98 percent complete.” The countywide transportation agency said that it anticipates opening the three new stations to the public in the fall.
Three new stations: The first phase of the extension spans nearly four miles west and includes three new stations:
- Wilshire and La Brea
- Wilshire and Fairfax
- Wilshire and La Cienega
Once complete, the D Line extension will take riders between downtown L.A. and Westwood. Stops at Wilshire and La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega are expected to open in the fall.
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L.A. Metro
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Testing trains: Metro said it has started to test D Line trains under Wilshire Boulevard. It’s using “water-filled containers on board to approximate the weight of real passengers,” according to the blog post.
Phase 2 and 3: The next two phases of the extension are expected to open in 2027 and 2028, respectively, according to Metro’s blog post. This is later than initially planned. Metro said in May that the extensions would open in the latter halves of 2026 and 2027. Those extensions will add four additional stations, connecting the D Line to Century City and Westwood.
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LAist
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