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South L.A. Gets a New Light Rail Line: Metro K Line Open for Business

A yellow ligh trail train crosses an intersection in South L.A.
Metro's new light rail line will serve seven new stations in the Crenshaw Corridor, Inglewood and Westchester. | L.A. Metro
By City News Service
October 7, 2022
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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - With much fanfare, Metro's K Line opened Friday, running from the Crenshaw district to Westchester and giving South Los Angeles its most extensive rail service since the 1950s.

The line fulfills a dream that began when Tom Bradley was mayor from 1973-93 and sought to provide world-class transportation in South Los Angeles, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

[The K Line] will ... help make Los Angeles a more accessible, sustainable and inclusive city.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

"The K Line is integral to Los Angeles' transportation future," Garcetti said. "It will open doors of opportunity for riders across our region and help make Los Angeles a more accessible, sustainable and inclusive city."

The northern-most point of the line is the Expo/Crenshaw station at the intersection of Crenshaw and Exposition boulevards. The line heads south along Crenshaw Boulevard, with stations at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, in Leimert Park and Hyde Park.

A new K Line train rounds a curved track elevated above the surface city streets below.
A new K Line train rounds a curved track elevated above the surface city streets below.
1/4 The new line represents Metro’s single largest transportation investment in the South Los Angeles region since the construction of the Metro A Line (Blue) and C Line (Green) more than 20 years ago. | L.A. Metro
A new K Line train runs on rails between two lines of tall palm trees.
A new K Line train runs on rails between two lines of tall palm trees.
2/4 The K Line will open access for numerous South L.A. communities, including the Crenshaw Corridor, Hyde Park, Leimert Park, Fairview Heights, Inglewood and Westchester — connecting them to the rest of Los Angeles County’s expanding Metro Rail system. | L.A. Metro
A light rail train waits at the platform of a train station, under a sign that reads "Expo/Crenshaw Platform 2"
A light rail train waits at the platform of a train station, under a sign that reads "Expo/Crenshaw Platform 2"
3/4 A new K Line light rail train at the Hyde Park station near the intersection of Crenshaw and Slauson. | L.A. Metro
A light rail train waits at the platform of the Fairview Heights train station.
A light rail train waits at the platform of the Fairview Heights train station.
4/4 The new K Line train in the Fairview Heights station in Inglewood, California | L.A. Metro

The southern half of the line uses the Harbor Subdivision right-of-way, with stations in Fairview Heights and downtown Inglewood, ending at the Westchester/Veterans Station, near La Cienega Boulevard and Florence Avenue.

There will be free bus service from the Westchester/Veterans Station to the C Line's Aviation/LAX Station.

A station at Aviation and Century boulevards is set to open in fall 2023 and the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station in late 2024.

Metro will offer free rides on all of its buses and trains through the weekend in connection with the K Line's opening.

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