Residents of the east San Fernando Valley are getting closer to experiencing a history-making rail project that has entered major construction phase and in a few years will serve the dense, transit-dependent section of the Valley.

Officials from LA Metro and the city of Los Angeles spoke at a ceremonial groundbreaking of the East San Fernando Valley Light-Rail project on Monday, Oct. 19, for what will become the first light-rail line in the San Fernando Valley since the Pacific Electric Red Car stopped operating in 1952.

“This marks a historic milestone for the East San Fernando Valley and the working-class communities that have waited generations for this kind of investment,” said Imelda Padilla, Metro Board Member and Los Angeles City Councilmember.

“As someone who grew up in the Valley, I know how much reliable public transportation means to our families. Bringing rail back to Van Nuys Boulevard after more than 70 years is about more than connecting people to jobs, schools, and essential services. It is about creating new opportunities for our residents, supporting our local businesses, and making sure the communities that have called this corridor home for generations are part of its future,” Padilla said.

LA Metro awarded a $2.43 billion construction contract in late August to Skanska USA and its partner, Stacy Witbeck, to build the first phase of the street level, electric-powered light-rail project, which will run 6.7 miles between the G (Orange) Bus Rapid Transit Line in Van Nuys to the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road in Pacoima.

A second phase still being studied would travel 2.5 miles alongside the Metrolink heavy rail line into San Fernando, from San Fernando Road at Van Nuys Boulevard to the Sylmar Metrolink Station.

“This Metro investment is a game changer for our community,” said Third District L.A. County Supervisor and LA Metro Board Member Lindsey Horvath. “Our Valley residents deserve faster, easier, and safer connections between Van Nuys and San Fernando, enhancing access to jobs, healthcare, and essential services throughout the Valley.”

Construction actually began in late 2024. Crews removed water lines, cable communications and electric conduits from under the median where the trains will run, and relocated them. Van Nuys Boulevard has seen many lane closures since construction began in the dense neighborhoods in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

The first phase of the $3.9-billion project involves building an at-grade, light-rail down the median of Van Nuys Boulevard, starting at Oxnard and San Fernando roads. Completion is expected in December 2031, according to Andrew Grubb, project executive at Skanska USA Civil West.

Many people in majority-minority communities of Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima already use the bus system in the areas and this line could bring about 50,000 daily riders. Some destinations along the line include the Van Nuys Civic Center, the Panorama Mall, multi-residential housing in Van Nuys and Arleta High School.

Roughly 19% of households in the project corridor are transit-dependent, meaning they do not have access to a personal vehicle, compared to just 8% for Los Angeles County as a whole. It is the first local-stop commuter rail service to roll down Van Nuys Boulevard in more than 70 years, LA Metro reported.

“The East San Fernando Valley line is under construction and the community is thrilled,” said Bart Reed, executive director of The Transit Coalition. Reed lives in the area and said he was four months old when he rode the Red Line there with a parent in 1952. “It will be heavily used.”

Residents are primarily immigrants from Mexico, the Philippines, Central America and Armenia. A large majority do not own cars and usually take the buses running along Van Nuys Boulevard and intersecting streets, as well as the Bus Rapid Transit G Line.

“The East San Fernando Valley deserves an affordable and safe transit system that provides reliable access to jobs, healthcare, schools and local businesses – I’m proud that Metro’s Light Rail Transit Project will deliver just that,” said L.A. Mayor and LA Metro Board Chair Karen Bass.

Former Rep. Tony Cardenas, along with U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, both from Pacoima, have worked together to provide more than $1.5 billion in federal dollars for the project.

The project also received $600 million from the state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).

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