LAX people mover to begin reliability testing as dispute between city and contractor heats up

The contractor building the LAX Automated People Mover will soon initiate a simulation of how the train will operate when it begins shuttling travelers between airport terminals and the L.A. Metro system.

If you catch yourself at the airport once this phase of testing begins the week of April 20, you'll see empty cars traversing the 2.25-mile-long tracks on the same 24/7 schedule the train will use when it opens.

“It’s a big milestone for the project, and a visible milestone,” said Jake Adams, an airport executive who is overseeing $5.5 billion in LAX upgrades, including the people mover.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that manages LAX, and its contractor for the people mover have escalated their rhetoric over a dispute that began last year over faulty electrical equipment, according to an LAist review of correspondences received through a public records request.

Adams said he’s “fairly optimistic” that the dispute can be resolved separately from opening the train to the public, even if it intensifies into a legal battle.

Considering the projected timeline for this next phase of testing, the train likely won’t be open in time for the World Cup in June, which was once slated to open in 2023.

Adams said the airport’s peak summer traveler count “far exceeds” the number of people expected for the World Cup and that he doesn’t anticipate any issues.

Testing the reliability of the train

The testing milestone that is slated to begin the week of April 20 is designed to assess the reliability of the train.

“The requirement is that [the contractor has] to operate it for 30 consecutive days without a hiccup,” Adams said of the testing phase known as “system demonstration.”

What a “hiccup” could look like ranges, Adams said. An example of a major issue that could restart that 30-day clock is if one of the train cars breaks down. A more minor one would be if a train door fails to open at a platform.

Adams said the process is likely to take a total of 60 days based on conversations with other airports that have developed similar people mover systems.

Contractual dispute over electrical maintenance remains open

In November, LAist reported on a dispute over repairs to equipment in a metering cabinet. That work required power to be partially shut down between February and July 2025, temporarily delaying critical testing of the technology that allows for central control of the people mover’s systems.

Though the technical issue has been resolved, the contractual dispute remains open. LINXS, the group of companies contracted to design, build and operate the train, has taken the position that the repair work isn’t included in its scope of work. Los Angeles World Airports disagrees.

As of October, LINXS said the extra work cost $36 million, according to a document detailing LINXS’ claim that LAist received through a public records request.

The contractor group in December filed a claim under a section of state law that governs complaints against public entities. The L.A. City Attorney's Office rejected the claim in January, initiating a six-month window within which LINXS can sue the city.

“We will not comment on active disputes,” a spokesperson for LINXS said in an email when LAist reached out about the issue last month.

In January 2026, when there was concern that the technical issue with the metering cabinet was reoccurring, LAX officials directed LINXS to investigate the issue. The contractor group initially refused to do so.

William Dachs, CEO of LINXS, said in a letter to the city in January that “failure to resolve this … will ultimately lead to contract termination this coming fall, resulting in the City of Los Angeles having to repay the Lenders’ Liabilities which, at this early stage, is estimated to be over $1.1 Billion.”

Ultimately, a joint investigation found the concerns about the reoccurring issues were unfounded. Still, the episode reflects how uniquely contentious the dispute is.

Whereas past disputes between LINXS and the airport were resolved through settlements that have so far totaled hundreds of millions of dollars and resulted in schedule extensions, the dispute over maintaining electrical equipment is the one that has gotten closest to potential litigation.

“Other relief events that we’ve dealt with up to this point … we could agree there were some things that were not totally within LINXS’ control,” Adams said. “This relief event is very different. We believe there is absolutely no merit to this claim.”

Disputes between LINXS and two of its subcontractors have already resulted in litigation, with one subcontractor accusing LINXS of “secretive, deceptive and improper conduct” and neglecting to pass settlement money down to subcontractors.

An L.A. County Civil Grand Jury report released last year claimed that LINXS has used the dispute resolution process and “political pressures,” such as L.A.’s status as host city for several upcoming mega-events, to force contract extensions and additional compensation throughout the design and construction process.

What happens next? Is there a date for opening? 

There are still a few more steps to complete once the system demonstration is successful, including resolving a dispute involving damage to the sprinkler systems that water plants along roads near the airport. Those roads received new landscaping as part of the project.

“LINXS is taking a very contractual position that they have to complete all of the work that's in their contract before they can open the train,” Adams said. “We are taking the position that the irrigation absolutely has nothing to do with operating the train.”

Adams characterized the conversations to “decouple” the sprinklers from the actual train itself as “active.”

The final steps include getting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission and testing the train with volunteers.

Adams did not commit to a date for when travelers will be able to fully use the train.