Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Automated People Mover (APM) is a 3.6km-long elevated guideway train system being built by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) at LAX.
Being developed by LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS), APM will connect passengers between the airport and new offsite parking, car rental, and transit facilities.
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LINXS is a joint venture (JV) of Fluor, ACS Infrastructure Development, Balfour Beatty, Bombardier Transportation, Dragados USA, Flatiron, and Hochtief PPP Solutions. The JV will operate and maintain the trains and stations for a period of 30 years.
APM is a major part of the Los Angeles World Airports landside access modernisation programme, which is aimed at transforming LAX ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The project received the Global Public Private Partnership (P3) of the Year award at P3 Bulletin’s inaugural Global P3 event in 2019.
Ground-breaking of the project was held in March 2019, while the construction is expected to be completed in 2023.
LAX automated people mover route and station details
LAX APM will move passengers from the consolidated rent-a-car centre (CONRAC) to the airport’s central terminal area and intermodal transportation facility (ITF).
It will provide easy and reliable access for passengers and employees to connect to the airline terminals. The ITF west facility will allow passengers to board the APM at a convenient location.
APM facility will be installed with video, access control, mass notification, and critical emergency management system.
LAX APM will have six stations in total, including three in the central terminal area and three at CONRAC and ITF.
Among the three outside stations, a new transit station near Aviation Blvd/96th St will provide connection to the APM, which will act as a transit gateway to LAX. It will provide services for both metro green and Crenshaw / LAX lines.
Rolling stock details
The APM will be served by a fleet of nine electrically powered Bombardier Innovia APM 300 vehicles that are 98% recyclable.
Each vehicle will have four cars featuring larger and wider doors. Each car will have 12 seats reserved for travellers in need.
The trains will have a capacity to carry up to 200 passengers and will run at a speed of 47mph.
APM maintenance and storage facility
A 111,000ft² maintenance and storage facility will be built at 9520 Belford Avenue. It will be used as a control centre to provide storage, train wash, and maintenance.
The facility’s exterior will feature three storage tracks and one test track, while maintenance works will be performed within the building, which will be installed with solar panels and high-efficiency mechanical and electrical systems.
A new two-lane roadway called Maintenance Drive will be built in order to connect 96th Street to Arbor Vitae Street. It will also allow employees to directly access the facility.
Benefits and ridership
The automated system will provide a world-class experience for the passengers, along with improved mobility and connectivity by creating new passenger pick-up and drop-off locations.
It will lower emissions by reducing the number of miles travelled by vehicles. Congestion at the terminal loop is expected to be reduced as a result of the APM.
The project is expected to generate employment for more than 2,000 people during the construction phase.
The estimated ridership of the mover is 30 million passengers a year. The trains will be available at a frequency of two minutes, while the total travel time is ten minutes from end-to-end.
Financing
Estimated to cost $4.9bn, the project will be funded through a combination of debt, including $1.2bn from private activity bonds and $263m through bank loans, and equity from Fluor and its partners.
Contractors involved
KDG+DE Construction Services, a partnership between KDG and Destination Enterprises, was appointed in September 2019 to provide construction support services for the connector / 96th street transit station project.
Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) secured a contract to provide Guardian Active System for the APM facility. The system will be deployed together with SDS partners Genetec and Everbridge.
Balfour Beatty received a $1.95bn design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) contract to build the APM from LAWA in February 2018.
HDR is the lead designer for the LAX APM’s fixed facilities while Parsons is responsible for providing project management and construction management services for APM. DLR Group partnered with HNTB and HDR to provide design for all the transit stations.
Bombardier Transportation received a $219m contract to design and supply Innovia APM 300 vehicles for the LAX Automated People Mover project.
