METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

U.S. DOT commits $1.3B for section 3 of LA Metro's rail extension

The Purple Line extension will garner about 49,300 daily weekday boardings at the seven new stations.

February 12, 2020
U.S. DOT commits $1.3B for section 3 of LA Metro's rail extension

The Purple Line Extension to the Westwood/VA Hospital station will garner about 49,300 daily weekday boardings at the seven new stations.

Visitor 7

2 min to read


The Purple Line Extension to the Westwood/VA Hospital station will garner about 49,300 daily weekday boardings at the seven new stations. Visitor 7

A federal grant totaling nearly $1.3 billion to help build the third and final phase of L.A. Metro’s Purple Line Extension to Westwood/VA Hospital in Westwood was sent by the U.S. Department of Transportation to Capitol Hill, the last step before the agreement is signed between the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the agency.

The $1.3 billion federal grant will be delivered through a multi-year agreement known as a Full Funding Grant Agreement that is governed by the FTA’s Capital Investment Grant program, popularly referred to as New Starts. The $1.3 billion is a stand-alone grant agreement, with no required loans for L.A. Metro to pay back as in previous funding agreements for Sections 1 and 2 of the extension. The overall cost for this section of the project is $3.6 billion, with remaining funds coming from L.A. Metro’s voter-approved transportation sales tax measures.  

Ad Loading...

Once this Full Funding Grant Agreement is finalized — following a 30-day review period on Capitol Hill mandated by the surface transportation authorization legislation known as the FAST Act — it will deliver $1.3 billion for one of L.A. County’s most critically needed public transit projects — a subway primarily under Wilshire Boulevard that will finally connect downtown Los Angeles and Westwood with service to the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, and Century City.    

L.A. Metro is now actively building the first two sections of the subway and has begun some initial preparatory construction activities for Section 3 between Century City and Westwood. Major construction is expected to start later this year. The three sections of the seven-mile Purple Line Extension are expected to open, respectively, in 2023, 2025, and 2027.

The Purple Line Extension to the Westwood/VA Hospital station will garner about 49,300 daily weekday boardings at the seven new stations. There will be about 78,000 new daily trips on the full Metro Rail System as a result of opening this line.

More Rail

A BART train on the tracks.
Railby StaffApril 13, 2026

San Francisco's BART Breaks Multiple Records for Post-Pandemic Ridership in March

BART recorded 5,403,140 exits in March, making it the highest monthly ridership since the pandemic and surpassing the previous high set in October 2025 (5,346,890 exits).

Read More →
Ribbon cutting photo celebrating SEPTA's new Ardmore Station
Railby StaffApril 13, 2026

Philadelphia's SEPTA Celebrates New Ardmore Station

The station was rebuilt as part of SEPTA’s Station Accessibility Program, making it fully ADA accessible with new elevators, ramps, and high-level platforms.

Read More →
Two Metra locomotives on rail tracks.
Railby StaffApril 10, 2026

Metra Reaches New 10-Year Agreement with BNSF

The announcement highlights the long-standing partnership between the Class I railroad and the commuter rail system, dating back to Metra's creation in 1983.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Ribbon cutting at Siemens' new North Carolina facility.
Railby StaffApril 9, 2026

Siemens Opens North Carolina Railcar Manufacturing Facility

Site construction is complete, production is underway, and the first locally built passenger coaches are on track for delivery in Summer 2026.

Read More →
Two MBTA railcars in station.
Railby StaffApril 9, 2026

MBTA Completes Key Red Line Signal Upgrade Weeks Early

Crews completed a significant portion of the testing required before commissioning the new, digital signaling system, which will bring important upgrades that strengthen Red Line service reliability for riders and provide Red Line Operations the ability to route trains more quickly, turn trains around faster, and recover from unplanned disruptions more efficiently, said MBTA officials. 

Read More →
A Metra train on the rails
Railby StaffApril 8, 2026

Metra Reveals 2026 Construction Program

In addition to new projects, progress continues on a multiyear effort to upgrade track, electrical, and signal systems on the Metra Electric Line to accommodate the expansion of service on the South Shore Line.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Governor Moore speaking at Maryland light rail station
Managementby StaffApril 7, 2026

Governor Advances Transit-Oriented Development in Baltimore

The Maryland Transit Administration is advancing the nearly $1.4 billion Light Rail Modernization Program, which modernizes the Baltimore Central Light Rail Line from Hunt Valley to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport with new, low-floor vehicles and upgrades to all light rail stations, systems, and maintenance facilities.

Read More →
A fleet of Caltrain electrified trains on tracks
Railby StaffApril 3, 2026

Funding Gap Could Force Caltrain to Slash Service, Close Stations

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board recently met for a budget workshop, during which staff outlined the significant service reductions Caltrain could be forced to make without new external funding. 

Read More →
SEPTA's Exo railcars
Railby StaffApril 2, 2026

SEPTA Purchases Montreal Coach Cars to Bolster Regional Rail Fleet

Funding for the purchase of the railcars comes from the nearly $220 million in additional capital dollars Gov. Josh Shapiro allocated in November 2025 to support urgent safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
The South Shore Line with Passengers
Railby StaffApril 1, 2026

South Shore Line Extension Debuts, Boosting Rail Access in Northwest Indiana

The $945 million project connects four new stations and expands regional mobility.

Read More →