AC Adam and I planned to ride the new LA Metro Expo Line extension from La Cienega/Jefferson to its new terminus at Culver City and I would also give him a tour of the Blue and Green lines. I told him that I would take Pacific Surfliner 562 down to San Juan Capistrano and meet him on Pacific Surfliner 763. That worked perfectly and soon I was sitting with him on the trip to Los Angeles, which took no time. We walked off the train then went downstairs to the ticketing machine to purchase our Metro Day Passes. We walked down to the platform and boarded the first train to 7th/Metro and went upstairs to wait for our trolley to arrive for Culver City.
It came in on the other platform then after we checked which track it was meant to be on, it went north through the crossover then came onto our track. We boarded this train for the ride to Culver City then went through the subway south towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
We come out of the tunnel and out into the daylight.
The train's first station is Pico Station, the stop for the Staples Center, LA Convention Center and Nokia Theater.
The line runs on the east side of Flower Street.
The line then ran under Interstate 10, the Santa Monica Freeway.
We came to the junction where the Blue Line turns east on Washington Boulevard and we went straight onto new mileage once we reached La Cienega-Jefferson statione.
The trolley continued to run along Flower Street.
Our train passed another Expo Line train.
Our next station was the 23rd Street Station, where you can go to LA Trade and Technical College, Mount St. Mary College and the Orthopaedic Hospital.
The train took these curves to run to the west of the Harbor Freeway.
Running along the Harbor Freeway.
Our operator has to always be on the lookout for cars cutting in front of him.
The train crossed 30th Street.
Coming into Jefferson/USC station where you can get to USC, the Galen Center and The Shrine.
Departing Jefferson/USC station.
I love anything with Felix the Cat.
The train then entered the trench/tunnel to get us into the middle of Exposition Boulevard
In the trench/tunnel we turned to the west, exiting in the middle of Exposition Boulevard.
We stopped at the Expo Park/USC Station, gateway to USC, California African America Museum, California Science Center, Exposition Park Rose Garden and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
A Breast Cancer fund-raising run/walk was taking place today.
We went by an eastbound Expo Line train.
The Expo/Vermont Station serves Jesse Brewer Jr. Park, Los Angeles Swimming Station and Natural History Museum.
Exposition Park.
The lineside signal gives us a green.
Still running down the middle of Exposition Boulevard.
The Expo/Western station serves Exposition Park Library/Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center.
Still running down the middle of Exposition Boulevard.
The Expo/Crenshaw station serves the Lula Washington Dance Theater.
Passing another eastbound Expo train.
The Expo line is fenced for its the whole length.
An Expo Line grade crossing.
A very well-maintained Expo Line.
The Farmdale station which, in the future, will serve Rancho Cienega Sports Complex and the Vineyard Recreation Center.
Passing a train at the Farmdale station.
You can see that we will climb to our next station.
The Expo/La Brea station serves the Baldwin Hills Branch Library and the Rancho Cienega Sports Complex.
Looking north down La Brea Boulevard.
We dropped down to the ground after the Expo/La Brea station.
We took this track and climbed the grade to our next station of La Cienega/Jefferson.
Our train departed the former end of the line and we headed out onto new trackage.
The line crossed over West Jefferson Boulevard and across Ballona Creek.
We came to a red over green so I knew we would be crossing over to the south track.
The trolley crossed over to the south track.
Climbing the grade towards the Culver City station.
Rolling west across the viaduct.
Coming into the Culver City station.
Nearing the end of the track.
Our trolley at the Culver City station.
The location at which the Expo Line will be built beyond Culver City. From here we returned east to the Pico Station where we just missed a train to Long Beach. First another Expo Line train arrived followed by an eastbound Expo Line train before ours for Long Beach. Once we made the turn onto Washington Boulevard on the Blue Line, AC Adam was again on new rail mileage. We took the train down to Long Beach, going around the loop there and returned to Imperial/Wilmington station where we detrained and went up the stairs to the Green Line.
We took the first train and rode west all the way to the Redondo Beach station then switched cars and rode east to Norwalk Station, returning west to Imperial/Wilmington and finally returning to the Blue Line to 7th Street/Metro Center, where we took the Red Line back to LAUPT. From here we boarded Pacific Surfliner 580 and I detrained at Santa Ana, ending a great day of riding light rail in Los Angeles County.
| RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE |