METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

L.A. Metro breaks ground on section 2 of Purple Line light rail extension

The entire Purple Line Extension project is based on a three-phase construction schedule, which is expected to include $3.6 billion in federal grants.

February 26, 2018
L.A. Metro breaks ground on section 2 of Purple Line light rail extension

According to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the Purple Line Section 2 project will create over 20,500 jobs in Southern California.

LA Metro

2 min to read


According to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the Purple Line Section 2 project will create over 20,500 jobs in Southern California. LA Metro

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) joined local, state, and federal officials to break ground on Section 2 of the Metro Purple Line Extension Project that will add 2.6-miles of new subway service to downtown Beverly Hills and Century City.

Metro has begun moving underground water, gas, power, and telecommunications lines to make way for future subway construction. The agency is also conducting potholing, geotechnical tests, traffic surveys, and other preparatory work. Major construction activities are slated to begin this spring when work crews create a launch area for a tunnel boring machine at the planned Century City/Constellation Station. Major work at the planned Wilshire/Rodeo Station in Beverly Hills is expected to begin at the end of this year or early 2019.

Ad Loading...

Metro has already begun construction of the first four-mile section of subway between Wilshire/Western in Koreatown and Wilshire/La Cienega in Beverly Hills. This initial section is now 30% complete and is scheduled to open in 2023. Section 2 is scheduled for completion in 2025 and the third and final section from Century City to Westwood/VA Hospital is planned to open in 2026 — two years prior to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The entire Purple Line Extension project is based on a three-phase construction schedule, which is expected to include $3.6 billion in federal grants. Metro has established a $2.53 billion budget for Section 2, including $1.5 billion from a federal grant and loan. County sales tax proceeds from 2008’s Measure R and 2016’s Measure M voter-approved transportation measures are providing critically needed local funding to match the federal contributions and accelerate construction work.

A contractor to build Section 2 has already been selected. Metro has awarded a $1.37-billion construction contract to Tutor Perini O&G, a Joint Venture, to build the second subway section.

“We now have the funding and the contractor in place to build Section 2 of this massive transit project that will greatly improve mobility for the whole L.A. region,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “This project, along with the buildout of the final section, Purple Line Section 3, and coupled with our three additional transit lines now under construction, will create new transportation choices for our customers and move us closer to our goal of becoming the best transit system in America.”

According to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the Purple Line Section 2 project will create over 20,500 jobs in Southern California.

More Rail

Graphic from Amtrak promoting the B&P Tunnel Replacement and Frederick Douglass Tunnel project, featuring the Amtrak logo, project title and an illustration of a high-speed train near the West Baltimore MARC Station.
Railby News/Media ReleaseMarch 17, 2026

Amtrak Announces Community Grants for Projects Near Baltimore’s New Frederick Douglass Tunnel

Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.

Read More →
Amtrak train with logo
Railby StaffMarch 16, 2026

Amtrak Marks Restoration of Two South Carolina Stations

The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.

Read More →
A view looking down the rail across the new Portal North Bridge.
Railby Staff and News ReportsMarch 13, 2026

NJ Transit, Amtrak Prepare to Open First Track on New Portal North Bridge

The new bridge will begin carrying passenger trains on March 16, replacing a 116-year-old swing bridge that has long caused delays.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Caltrain trains on tracks
Railby StaffMarch 6, 2026

Caltrain Adopts Corridor-Wide Right-of-Way Safety Strategy

Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.

Read More →
A photo of rail tracks in Ottawa, Canada

Building a National Framework for Transit Safety and Consistency

On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.

Read More →
Stairs in a New York rail station with text reading "USDOT Invests $686 Million to Modernize Aging Rail Stations."
Railby StaffMarch 2, 2026

FTA Invests $686M to Modernize Aging Rail Stations

Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A purple MBTA train at a Mansfield Station platform.
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

MBTA Updates Rail Modernization Plan to Expand Reliability and Accessibility

The strategy outlines near- and long-term upgrades to ease congestion, support housing growth, and advance statewide climate goals.

Read More →
LA Metro underground station with vehicle
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

LA Metro Sets D Line Subway Extension Launch Date

The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.

Read More →
MBTA railcars
Railby StaffFebruary 26, 2026

Boston's MBTA Marks Progress in Regional Rail Modernization

The procurement advances the agency's broader efforts to modernize its rail fleet and position Regional Rail for long-term improvement.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An Amtrak Acela
Railby StaffFebruary 26, 2026

Amtrak Sets New Course for Long-Distance Fleet Renewal

Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.

Read More →