LAX’s people mover is 96% complete. Why it will take $550 million and another year to open

After years of delays, LAX’s automated people mover train finally has an official completion date and could welcome riders as soon as January 2026.

The holdup was due to a series of disputes between Los Angeles World Airports and the project’s contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS). Airport officials approved a sweeping settlement Thursday, structured with $550 million in incentives to ensure the builder gets the job done on time.

Once complete, the automated people mover is expected to carry more than 30 million people to and from the airport in its first year

Fast forward to 2028, it will shuttle thousands of spectators of the 2028 Olympic Games toward SoFi Stadium to many of the city’s new Metro connections, bike shares, and sports arenas.

How did we get here?

Delays began piling up after both parties disagreed over the project’s timeline, technology access, conflicts with local municipalities, and compensation, as LAist reported. Since then, an independent mediator sided with the contractor and said “LAWA failed to act in good faith and comply with the contract documents."

In exchange for resolving all existing contract disputes, LINXS will get a deadline extension and additional funding. Builders are now slated to complete construction by Dec. 8, 2025.

What’s taking so long?

You can already see much of the 2.25-mile elevated train track threading between buildings and the freeway. At first glance, the automated people mover looks finished, which is why the extended timeline has let down some travelers looking to use it.

“Unfortunately, this is par for the course for transit projects in general across the U.S.,” said Jacob Wasserman, the lead public transportation researcher at UCLA. “Cost overruns, and delays like this are frustrating, especially when they report the project is 95% or 96% completed.”

But it's in the final stretch that Wasserman said projects like the people mover face roadblocks as builders rigorously test the train system, and in many cases, they find issues.

“It's when they resolve outstanding claims for things that the contractor and the public sector disagree about, and how much it costs. So that's what they're doing now at the airport authority.” Wasserman said.

Other deadline busters that added to the timeline included permit delays and unexpected construction roadblocks like utility and other engineering challenges.

About the settlement

Thursday’s settlement will only disburse funds to builders as they achieve specific milestones to reach the December 2025 deadline. The agreement resolves more than 80 claims and disputes between the parties.

The biggest win for LAWA is that a date of completion is baked into the contract, said Jacob Adams, executive director of the project.

“One of the biggest things for me personally is allowing my team and the LINXS team to be able to focus on the job, instead of resolving all of these technical issues," he said.

Other outstanding disputes include issues like COVID-19 cost increases, but officials said they plan to settle those after the project is completed.

What's next?

The L.A. City Council still needs to OK the new funding, but Wasserman said it’s likely the settlement will be approved. A vote has yet to be scheduled.