LAX People Mover's Jan. 6 debut is 'at risk of further slippage' after arc blasts damaged the power rail, lenders' adviser says

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An elevated LAX Automated People Mover station and guideway under construction at Los Angeles International Airport

LAX People Mover's Jan. 6 debut is 'at risk of further slippage' after arc blasts damaged the power rail, lenders' adviser says

Four arc blasts in late September damaged the guideway's power rail, and there is no confirmed timeline to finish repairs. The 30-day test run the train needs before carrying passengers is now planned to restart by the end of October.

By Alberto Zamudio | The Southbound 105 | Oct. 17, 2026

The long-delayed automated train at Los Angeles International Airport has hit another snag. A monthly monitoring report dated Oct. 8, prepared by the lenders' technical adviser, Infrata Ltd., says the projected Jan. 6, 2027 start of passenger service is "at risk of further slippage," according to the report and the Los Angeles Daily News, which first reported on it Oct. 15.

The $3.3 billion, 2.25-mile LAX Automated People Mover, also known as SkyLink, was originally supposed to open in 2023. Its builder, the LAX Integrated Express Solutions consortium (LINXS), said in September it would not make an October startup, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.

What went wrong in September

According to the report, system testing was suspended in late summer because of defective expansion joints, which let the elevated guideway move with temperature changes and earthquakes. LINXS finished repairs to those joints on Sept. 16, and trains started moving again ahead of a planned Sept. 28 restart of the formal test run.

Then, during that ramp-up, "arc blast incidents" occurred at three locations on the guideway on Sept. 23, and a fourth occurred on Sept. 25, the report says. The cause is unknown and investigations are ongoing. The power rail and guide beam were damaged. The guide beam has been repaired, but the report says power rail reassembly "is ongoing with no confirmed timeline." The track was de-energized, and all trains were inspected with no damage found to date.

After an Oct. 6 meeting with LINXS, the adviser said the train's 30-day "System Demonstration" is planned to restart by the end of October, subject to repairs, regression testing, re-energizing the track, and safety sign-offs.

The Dec. 8 deadline

The report says LINXS's August schedule projects passenger service on Jan. 6, 2027, which is 29 days past the Dec. 8, 2026 "long stop" dates in both the main contract and the lenders' agreement. Bondholders recently agreed to move a lenders' deadline from Oct. 8 to Dec. 8, the Daily News reported. If LINXS misses it, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) could replace the contractor.

Fitch Ratings downgraded $1.2 billion in bonds tied to the project to BB from BB+ in July, according to the Daily News. Shannon McCue of Fitch told the paper the new deadline helped avoid what "could have been a technical default," but added that the work now has to be done by Dec. 8 for a January opening.

The report also flags other open items: the West Central Terminal Area station still needs its temporary certificate of occupancy renewed by the city's building department, which the adviser says is a prerequisite for passenger service, and a solar interconnection agreement remains unsigned.

The lawsuit and the finger-pointing

LINXS sued the city in Los Angeles County Superior Court on July 9, alleging the city is misplacing blame for delays and refusing to extend deadlines, LAist and Engineering News-Record reported. Disputes include repairs to electrical metering equipment, a solar power agreement with the Department of Water and Power, and claims that other airport contractors damaged finished work. LAWA has declined to comment on the litigation.

In a statement to the Daily News, LINXS said SkyLink is "construction-complete and technically ready" and that once the 30-day test run is done, LAWA must still fulfill a series of obligations before passengers can board.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez put it bluntly to the Daily News: "They need to finish the damn job."

Ripple effect: 247 parking jobs

The delay is already changing plans elsewhere at the airport. LAZ Parking told the Daily News it is rescinding a layoff notice for 247 LAX parking workers because of "changes in project timelines." The state's WARN report lists three LAZ notices filed Aug. 6, covering 139, 58 and 50 workers at airport parking sites, which add up to 247. "Layoffs will not happen this month," a LAZ spokeswoman said.

What's next

  • By the end of October: the 30-day test run is planned to restart, if repairs and safety checks are complete.
  • Dec. 8: the contract and lender deadline LINXS is working against.
  • Jan. 6, 2027: the projected first day of passenger service, which the adviser calls at risk.

When it opens, the train is planned to link six stations, including a Metro connection and a consolidated rental car center, and to remove up to 3,200 shuttle trips a day from the central terminal area, according to the Daily News.

Want more local news? Read more at The Southbound 105.

Cover photo: Joshua Sudock/Los Angeles World Airports, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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