Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has begun revenue service on its Gold Line extension, giving a first ride out for its new fleet of Kinkisharyo light rail vehicles.
The line opened on March 5 but had to be closed the following day after a truck crashed through a concrete barrier and onto the line in Pasadena. This morning (March 7), Metro tweeted that repairs had been completed and normal service had resumed.
The Gold Line Foothill Extension takes the line east from Pasadena to Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte/City of Hope, Irwindale, Azusa and APU/Citrus College. The plan is to eventually extend the line further east to Montclair.
Kinkisharyo has so far delivered 21 of 175 light rail vehicles (LRV) ordered by Metro for use on the Gold Line and across the network as a whole. The new fleet will also be used on phase two of the Expo Line, which opens on May 20.
In total, Kinkisharyo and Metro have a framework order in place for 235 vehicles, of which 175 have already been ordered.
Teiji Tani, president of Kinkisharyo International, said “This is a very proud moment for our company.
“We have worked extremely hard to deliver Metro’s LRVs on-time and with the highest possible quality. The people of Los Angeles County will enjoy reliable operation of these great cars for many years to come.”
