C Line (Los Angeles Metro)

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The C Line (formerly the Green Line from 1995 to 2020) is a Script error: No such module "convert". light rail line running between the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westchester and the city of Norwalk in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is one of six lines forming the Los Angeles Metro Rail system and opened on August 12, 1995. Along the route, the line also serves the cities of Downey, Hawthorne, and Lynwood, as well as several unincorporated communities in the South Los Angeles region including Athens, Del Aire, and Willowbrook. The fully grade-separated route runs mainly in the median strip of Interstate 105 for its latitude portion and in a mixture of viaducts, embankments, and an open trench for its western leg. While still being part of the bigger Metro Rail light rail network, this grade-separated alignment technically puts the line in the light metro category.[1] A free shuttle bus to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is available at the LAX/Metro Transit Center.

On November 3, 2024, the C and K lines underwent service changes to accommodate pre-revenue testing at the then-upcoming LAX/Metro Transit Center, which opened on June 6, 2025. The C Line's western terminus was redirected to Aviation/Century station and the southern segment of the K Line was created between Aviation/Century station and Redondo Beach station. Upon the opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Center, the C Line now terminates at this station, and the K Line now operates as a single, continuous service through it. The LAX Automated People Mover, which will offer a connection to the airport's terminals, will begin service at the LAX/Metro Transit Center in 2026.

Service description

Route description

File:Los Angeles Green Line route.png
Map showing C Line route and stations pre-November 2024

The entire route of the C Line is grade-separated, with its tracks mostly following the median of Interstate 105 (the Century Freeway) and an elevated guideway. The line begins at the LAX/Metro Transit Center, shared with the K Line. The line then briefly enters an open trench as it passes close to the LAX runways[2] before splitting from the K Line at a wye west of Aviation/LAX station. At Aviation/LAX station, passengers can transfer to any one of several bus lines from different operators, including LAX Shuttle Route M, which provides free service to Los Angeles International Airport. From here, the C Line heads east in the median of the Century Freeway, with a connection to the J Line bus rapid transit line at Harbor Freeway station. It then continues to a major transfer connection at Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station (transfer point to the light rail A Line). Finally, the line terminates in Norwalk, at Norwalk station, just east of the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605). A non-revenue connector at Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station allows trains to transfer to A Line tracks for maintenance and other non-revenue operations.

Passengers can reach Downtown Los Angeles by connecting with the bus rapid transit J Line at Harbor Freeway station, the light rail A Line at Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station, or Metro Bus Express route Template:LA Metro route at Norwalk station. Metrolink service to Downtown Los Angeles via Union Station, Perris, and Oceanside, as well as other cities in Orange County and Riverside County, can be accessed from the C by transferring to Norwalk Transit route 4 and disembarking at Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs station.

On November 3, 2024, the C Line was redirected to begin at Aviation/Century station from its prior terminus at Redondo Beach station. The K Line subsumed the westernmost segment of the C Line west of the wye, running south before ending at Redondo Beach station.[3][4][5] The LAX/Metro Transit Center opened on June 6, 2025, serving as the C Line's current western terminus.[6]

Hours and frequency

Template:LA Metro hours and frequency

Time 4-7A 8A-8P 9-12A
Weekdays 10 20
Weekends/Holidays 20 10 20

Speed

The C Line is the fastest light rail line in the Los Angeles Metro Rail network because trains can operate at speeds up to Script error: No such module "convert". for most of their route as trains run in the median of the I-105 freeway, not having at-grade street service like other lines such as the A Line. The line has complete grade separation, relatively long station spacing, and a primarily straight alignment.

The C Line takes 34 minutes[7] to travel Script error: No such module "convert"., at an average speed of Script error: No such module "convert".. This is 43% faster than the A Line, and 81% faster than the E Line.

Station listing

The C Line consists of the following 11 stations (from west to east):

Station Date Opened City/Neighborhood Major connections and notes[8][9]
Template:LAMs June 6, 2025[6] Los Angeles (Westchester) Template:LACMTA icon
Template:Rint LAX via LAX Shuttle
Template:Rint LAX Automated People Mover (2026)[10]
Template:LAMs November 3, 2024[4] Template:LACMTA icon
Template:LAMs August 12, 1995[11] Park and ride: 435 spaces
Template:LAMs Hawthorne SoFi Stadium via shuttle bus
Park and ride: 362 spaces
Template:LAMs Park and ride: 506 spaces
Template:LAMs Athens Park and ride: 155 spaces
Template:LAMs South Los Angeles Template:LACMTA icon
Park and ride: 253 spaces
Template:LAMs Park and ride: 160 spaces
Template:LAMs July 14, 1990Template:Efn Willowbrook Template:LACMTA icon
Park and ride: 234 spaces
Template:LAMs August 12, 1995[11] Lynwood Park and ride: 635 spaces
Template:LAMs Downey Park and ride: 403 spaces
Template:LAMs Norwalk Park and ride: 1,759 spaces

Template:Notelist

Ridership

Annual ridership
Year Ridership %± <timeline>

ImageSize = width:auto height:250 barincrement:30 PlotArea = left:30 bottom:15 top:11 right:15 AlignBars = justify Period = from:0 till:15 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical Colors = 

id:gray  value:gray(0.5)
id:line1 value:gray(0.9)
id:line2 value:gray(0.7)

ScaleMajor = start:0 increment:1 gridcolor:line2 ScaleMinor = start:0 increment:1 gridcolor:line1

PlotData= 

color:green width:22
bar:2009 from:start till:11.721935
bar:2010 from:start till:12.241883
bar:2011 from:start till:12.808530
bar:2012 from:start till:13.931830
bar:2013 from:start till:13.499453
bar:2014 from:start till:12.967235
bar:2015 from:start till:12.058903
bar:2016 from:start till:10.980323
bar:2017 from:start till:9.961716
bar:2018 from:start till:9.510211
bar:2019 from:start till:9.131806
bar:2020 from:start till:4.757506
bar:2021 from:start till:4.430484
bar:2022 from:start till:5.670634
bar:2023 from:start till:6.262604
bar:2024 from:start till:6.844760

</timeline>

2009 11,721,935 —
2010 12,241,883 Template:Change
2011 12,808,530 Template:Change
2012 13,931,830 Template:Change
2013 13,499,453 Template:Change
2014 12,967,235 Template:Change
2015 12,058,903 Template:Change
2016 10,980,323 Template:Change
2017 9,961,716 Template:Change
2018 9,510,211 Template:Change
2019 9,131,806 Template:Change
2020 4,757,506 Template:Change
2021 4,430,484 Template:Change
2022 5,670,634 Template:Change
2023 6,262,604 Template:Change
2024 6,844,760 Template:Change
Source: Metro[12]

History

File:Construction on Century Freeway overpass on Harbor Freeway.jpg
The C Line was built with the construction of the I-105 freeway.

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". In 1972, Caltrans signed a consent decree to allow construction of the fiercely opposed Century Freeway (Interstate 105), which included provisions for a transit corridor in the freeway's median as a way to help communities impacted by the new freeway.

Construction began in 1987 on the corridor as a light rail line, envisioned as a connection with the bedroom communities in the Gateway Cities along the Century Freeway with the then-burgeoning aerospace center in El Segundo. The section in El Segundo would be fully elevated and follow the route of the Harbor Subdivision.

From the beginning of the project, several compromises were made. Because Caltrans dropped a plan for the freeway to cross through Norwalk to Interstate 5, the line was denied a connection to the then-new Template:Scax Metrolink station.[13] Additionally, although planners planned to add a spur to LAX, they did not include it in the initial project over fears that commuters would not use the line if they had to go through the airport on the way to work.[14] The proposed extension to LAX was further complicated by concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration that the overhead lines of the rail line would interfere with the landing paths of airplanes.[15] Amid ambivalence at LAX and L.A. City Hall, the plans to extend the line to the airport were shelved.

The line opened on August 12, 1995, more than a year late and $950 million over budget.[11] By that time, the Cold War was over, and the aerospace sector in El Segundo was hemorrhaging jobs.[14] The collapse of jobs in the area and the compromises made during construction limited the line's utility, earning it the nickname "the train to nowhere."[14]

When the C Line began service, it operated with only one-car trains. However, since its opening, ridership continued growing steadily, peaking at nearly 13 million riders in 2014, prompting Metro to operate two-car trains. The increase was driven by the 5,100 park-and-ride spaces and slowing traffic on the 105 freeway.[16] Ridership on the C Line has not been as high as the A Line, although it did have higher ridership than the L Line (then known as the Gold Line) until 2013.[17][18] Regardless, Metro can only operate two-car trains on the C Line, since the five Metro-built stations west of the freeway only have room for two-car trains.[16]

One of the lessons learned from the line, and the Harbor Transitway built at the same time, was that freeway median stations offer a poor rider experience, requiring customers to descend from bridges or climb stairs from dimly lit underpasses to isolated stations in the middle of a noisy and exhaust-ridden freeway.[16] While stations generally have elevators as a necessary accessibility accommodation, these sometimes fail,[19] and have been known for having sanitation issues; escalators are also often out for maintenance or, with the C Line in particular, only available downward.

Overhead line replacement

Beginning on August 12, 2023, Metro began a multi-phased project to gradually replace the aging overhead lines on the almost 30-year-old C Line. This will involve closures on segments of the line at different time periods. The first of these closures ran from August 12 to August 19, between Template:LAMs and Template:LAMs stations, and August 20 to September 24 between Redondo Beach and Template:LAMs stations. Service was replaced in the meantime by temporary bus shuttles.[20]

Integration with the K Line

Template:Multiple images

Varying service patterns have been proposed for integrating the completed K Line into the rest of the system throughout its planning and construction, all of which have involved sharing trackage and infrastructure facilities with the existing C Line. Although some early proposals would've sent trains through all three directions of the wye that will connect the existing C Line with the new segment, this was rejected by Metro because it would cause too much wear and tear on the track switch mechanisms.[21][22]

The debate over service patterns proved somewhat contentious, as the final pattern must balance the needs of riders, operational needs, and the political constituencies of Metro's board members.[23] In 2018, with the line then scheduled to open within the year, the Metro Board of Directors overrode a recommendation by operations staff that would've had a single line operating between Expo/Crenshaw and Norwalk station. Passengers from the Redondo Beach area would have been served by a shuttle to the LAX area, where they would need to transfer to another train to continue east or north. Instead, board members approved a one-year pilot of a configuration that would combine an Expo-to-Norwalk line with another line that would connect Redondo Beach with Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station, allowing transfers to the A and J Lines.[24][25] The approved plan would incur higher operating expenses, but board members argued it would retain better transfer opportunities for South Bay residents.[26]

Ongoing construction delays led to a reassessment of that plan in 2022. Metro recommended public outreach aimed at reformulating the operating plan before the connection to the C Line opens in 2023;[27] in March 2023, Metro indicated that it would recommend Option 2 in the figure above, in which the K Line would run north-south from Expo/Crenshaw to Redondo Beach, and the C Line would run from Norwalk to LAX.[28] On June 22, 2023, Metro's board of directors officially approved the implementation of Option 2 based on staff recommendation and public opinion.[3]

Future developments

Eastern extension to Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs station

The C Line's eastern terminus is Script error: No such module "convert". west of the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink station, which is served by several Metrolink lines and sees heavy use.[29] Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs is also a proposed station on the California High-Speed Rail project.[30] Bus service, primarily via Norwalk Transit line 4, is provided between the Metrolink station and the C Line terminus. Still, schedules are not coordinated with the C Line's arrivals. While plans exist to close the gap,[31] available Measure M funding allows the operation to start in roughly 2052.[32][33][34]

Southeast Gateway Line interchange station

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". A new infill station is planned to be constructed between Long Beach Boulevard (soon to be Lynwood) and Lakewood Boulevard in order to provide an interchange with the forthcoming Southeast Gateway Line. It is expected to open with the new service in 2035.

Operations

On Metro Rail's internal timetables, the C Line is numbered line 803.

Maintenance facilities

The C Line is operated out of Division 22 (Hawthorne Yard & Shop) and Division 16 (Southwestern Yard). These yards stores the fleet used on the C line. Light maintenance is done on the fleet in Division 22, and heavier maintenance is done in Division 16. Division 22 is located between Redondo Beach and Douglas stations. Trains enter the yard via a junction halfway between the two stations. Norwalk-bound trains (Northbound) may enter, but no exit track exists to continue north. Redondo Beach-bound trains (Southbound) may enter and exit the Yard to continue south. Division 16 is located on the completed section of the K Line near the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Westchester.

Rolling stock

As of 2024, the Kinki Sharyo P3010 is the only rolling stock to serve the C Line.

At the time the Green Line opened, the line used a fleet of Nippon Sharyo P2020 light rail vehicles, which were very similar to the older Nippon Sharyo P865 vehicles used on the Blue Line (now known as A Line). In late 2001, the P2020 fleet was transferred to the Blue Line, and the Green Line received new Siemens P2000 railcars that have been operating on the line ever since, until its removal in 2024 and subsequent transfer to the A Line. Since 2019, newer Kinki Sharyo P3010 trains were added to the Green Line alongside P2000s to supplement the fleet and have been used since then. Trains are limited to two-car sets due to platform length limitations at Aviation/LAX.[35]

Incidents

  • On February 22, 2015, a train near the Hawthorne/Lennox station struck and killed a man who was trespassing on the tracks.[36][37]
  • On August 24, 2018, a collision involving a tanker truck on the westbound lanes of I-105 between Vermont Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard exploded with flames that crawled onto the tracks and damaged the catenary system. The rail line and the freeway were closed for cleanup and repairs.[38]

References

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  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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Template:Los Angeles Metro Rail and Busway stations navbox Script error: No such module "Navbox". Script error: No such module "Navbox". Script error: No such module "Navbox".

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