Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

FTA funding helped provide roadway, sidewalk and security improvements, and new traffic patterns that improve access to the station for pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit buses, taxis, tour buses and private vehicles.

Passenger rail service has increased from six daily trains to 22 daily trains, since Caltrans began managing Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner corridor.

The plan calls for doubling the number of trains the station can accommodate and improving the passenger experience at what is the second-busiest Amtrak station in the country.

Currently, the station is home to Amtrak, Metrolink, Metro Red and Purple Lines, Metro Gold Line, L.A. FlyAway, and numerous Metro and municipal bus lines serving Los Angeles County and beyond. The station is also home to several new retail businesses.

Using the funds to acquire the site creates independent benefit for existing transportation entities in the region. An L.A. Union Station revamp would improve operations and service for Metro light rail, Amtrak, Metrolink and the Metro bus system.

The project is funded with a unique financing structure and for the first time combines credit assistance from both the RRIF and TIFIA programs.

Transportation elements include an underground bus terminal with 22 bays, a light rail station for current and future light rail routes, a commuter rail station that will serve Amtrak and possibly a ski train, and public plazas to integrate transit service.