История и трансформация линии L (Золотой линии) Лос-Анджелеса

Former light rail line

As of 2023, before the L Line was subsumed into the A and E lines, L Line trains ran every day between approximately 4:30 a. m. and 12:15 a. m. Trains operated every 10 minutes during peak hours Monday through Friday, and every twelve minutes during the daytime on weekdays and all day on the weekends. Evening service (after 7 p. m.) was every 20 minutes.

Much of the L Line's right of way through the San Gabriel Valley was built by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad in 1885, eventually taken over by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, as part of the Pasadena Subdivision, which saw Amtrak service until 1994, when construction began on the conversion to light rail. The project was originally called the "Pasadena Metro Blue Line," and planners envisioned extending the existing Blue Line from Long Beach, but when a ban on sales tax spending on subway tunnels passed in 1998, the project became a separate line terminating at Union Station. The Gold Line opened between Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa station in East Pasadena on July 26, 2003. Following a new right of way, the Gold Line Eastside Extension extended the line east between Union Station and East Los Angeles, opening on November 15, 2009. Phase 2A (the section between LA and Pasadena was Phase 1) of the Foothill Extension, running between Sierra Madre Villa station and APU/Citrus College station in Azusa, opened on March 5, 2016.

The Regional Connector Transit Project constructed a light rail tunnel across Downtown Los Angeles that connected the L Line with the A and E lines. The project finally completed the late 1990s vision of the "Pasadena Blue Line," connecting the northern (Union Station–Azusa) segment of the L Line to the A Line (formerly the Blue Line), which runs between Los Angeles and Long Beach. The southern (Pico/Aliso–East LA) segment was combined with the previously existing E Line, which ran between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The new east–west line kept the E Line name but uses the L Line's gold color. The at grade Little Tokyo/Arts District station was demolished in 2020 and was rebuilt as a subway station approximately 500 feet (152 m) south and on the opposite side of Alameda from its former location. Between 2020 2023, shuttles connected the two portions of the line. The groundbreaking for constructing the Regional Connector took place on September 30, 2014, and it opened on June 16, 2023. This extension, like the original Gold Line to Pasadena, and the first phase of the Foothill Extension is being built by a specialized construction authority, independent of Metro. The original plan called for the extension to end at Montclair in San Bernardino County, but budget challenges forced the construction authority to cut the line back to Pomona. When this project is completed, it will be served by the A Line.

Metro is planning an extension of the L Line's southern leg eastward from its current terminus at Atlantic station. The proposed line would travel south on Garfield Avenue to the Citadel Outlets in Commerce, then turn east on Washington Boulevard making stops in Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier. The project is currently under environmental review, with a forecasted opening in 2035. When this project is completed, it will be served by the E Line.

The L Line was operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

The L Line fleet is stored and maintained and is operated at Division 21 and Division 24. Division 21 is located on Vin Scully Drive (Elysian Park Drive) just north of North Broadway, overlooking the Los Angeles River, and Division 24 is located south of the I 210 freeway in Monrovia. As of April 2023, Division 11 and Division 14 have been added to the operations of the L Line. Division 11 is situated at the end of 208th Street between I 710 and the Los Angeles River in North Long Beach within the A Line. Division 14 is situated between Centinela Avenue and Stewart Street in Santa Monica within the E Line.

L Line trains are typically two car trains off peak. During peak hours on weekdays, some three car trains run. On New Year's Day, the L Line uses three car trains for service to the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game. Like the A, C, E, and K lines, trains are composed of high floor articulated light rail vehicles (LRVs). The AnsaldoBreda P2550, the Kinki Sharyo P3010, or the Siemens P2000 operated the line. The P2000 initially operated the line in 2003 until 2012 when the fleet was transferred to increase availability at the A Line yard for service as a result of the inauguration of the E Line. During testing of the Regional Connector, the P2000 returned to L Line service as a result of training operations for post–Regional Connector service. Rolling stock is now shared between the A and E Lines, which subsumed the trackage of the L Line.

The following noteworthy incidents have occurred on the L Line since opening. September 11, 2007 – A driver was critically injured and six passengers, including an LA County Deputy Sheriff and the train operator, suffered minor injuries when a pickup truck ran a red light at Avenue 55 and Marmion Way before being hit by a train. September 21, 2007 – Six people suffered non life threatening injuries, including two minor injuries, after an SUV broke off the crossing arms and was struck by a northbound train (car 243) at Avenue 50 and Marmion Way in Mt. Washington. The vehicle caught fire, and a train section was also burnt. It was claimed that the female SUV driver had tried to beat the train. A resident extinguished the fire in the car with a garden hose before Los Angeles Fire arrived. The train that suffered fire damage was repaired and later placed on the Metro C Line. October 13, 2007 – Service was suspended for 12 hours after a big rig hit the center divider of the eastbound Foothill Freeway at Sierra Madre Boulevard and went on the tracks. August 26, 2011 – An altercation between passengers resulted in a non fatal stabbing during a trip through Pasadena. The train was stopped at Memorial Park station, where the victim was transported to a hospital, and the suspect was detained. April 24, 2014 – Service was suspended between the Lake and Sierra Madre Villa stations after a collision between two tractor trailers on the eastbound Foothill Freeway resulted in one vehicle landing on the line, damaging the rails and overhead wires. Full return to normal service took several days. March 6, 2016 – Service between Allen and Arcadia stations was disrupted for most of the evening, resuming Monday morning, one day after the opening of the Foothill Extension when a semi truck driver lost control and sent his trailer onto the tracks. February 20, 2018 – A high speed pursuit ended when the pursuit suspect drove into the tunnel between Soto and Indiana stations, suspending service. April 26, 2018 – An accident on the Foothill Freeway sent a FedEx truck onto the tracks between Lake and Memorial Park stations, damaging the rails and overhead wires. November 27, 2018 – A man was fatally stabbed near the Azusa station. May 7, 2022 – A man was sprayed with a flammable liquid before being lit on fire at Lake Station. The man was seriously injured, but survived.