The Foothill Gold Line project segment from Glendora to Pomona is now more than 81% complete and remains on budget and on course for an early January 2025 substantial completion, according to Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority Chief Executive Officer, Habib F. Balian.

Crews are focused on completing light rail stations, which are 65% done, and power and communications systems, which are now more than 70% complete. The construction authority expects to have the train control and overhead lines fully installed by the end of March, before systems testing begins this summer.

The four-station extension is less than 11 months from completion and is projected to add more than 10,000 daily weekday boardings to the Metro system. Ridership increased 12% on the Metro system in 2023 compared to 2022. Ridership on the rail system also reached 67% of pre-pandemic levels.

Though the Foothill Gold Line is on track to be completed and turned over to LA Metro in January 2025, it won’t open for passenger service right away. In the past, it’s taken Metro about six months to train their staff and conduct pre-revenue operations before opening a new line, according to Albert Ho, Foothill Gold Line’s director of media relations.

At the stations from Union Station to Citrus College, average weekday boardings in the last four months have rebounded to about 51% of 2016 levels, and were up an additional 3% on weekdays during the recent 10 Freeway closure for fire repairs. Average weekend boardings at the Foothill Gold Line stations is now 120% of 2016 levels.

For more info visit foothillgoldline.org.