After seven years, the LAX People Mover is still experiencing serious complications. Originally announced in 2019 and set to open in 2023, the People Mover has yet to carry any passengers as it is not yet deemed safe or reliable.
According to a report prepared for project lenders by infrastructure advisory firm Infrata, three arc blasts occurred at different locations on the guideway on September 23, with a fourth occurring on September 25th. With the cause still unknown, an ongoing investigation is examining the blasts that damaged both the power rail and guide beam.
Tim Borchers, a transportation and railroad expert with over 40 years of experience, told ABC7 that while the blasts are in fact uncontrolled electrical explosions, claiming that the number of occurrences was unusual. If a vehicle traveled over the rail in this state, Borchers says that there is a very real chance it could cause a fire, explaining the further delay these blasts have placed on the project.
LINXS, the contractor behind the LAX People Mover project, reassured the public in a statement saying that the incidents only affected a few feet of the power rail and were not the result of defects in the project’s larger electrical system. No passenger vehicles were damaged as a result, and all systems responded to the blasts as designed.
The further delays are intended to ensure that the system is safe before service to passengers begins. The People Mover is now set to open operations in 2027.
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