Most Hot Air readers are familiar with the California high speed rail fiasco. This has been going on for well over a decade and the expected cost keeps climbing while the expected completion date keeps getting pushed back.
But there's another, much smaller system that Los Angeles has been trying desperately to build since 2018. It's called the LAX People Mover or Skylink for short. It's an automated train that runs just 2.25 miles in a loop between the airport, the car rental area, the greater LA rail system and the big parking area for rideshare pickup. This train is both a) long overdue and b) something that most big airports already have.
I've done five or six LAX pickups and drop offs this year and the traffic is always bad, but sometimes, especially at night, it's a nightmare. The airport is basically a giant horseshoe and one trip around it can take 30 minutes, with traffic barely crawling and people frequently cutting each other off. One of the times I was there a few months ago an entire swath of cars started honking horns in collective frustration. I don't mean half a dozen, I mean 40 or 50 all at once. It was chaos.
But as is always the case with rail projects in California, Skylink/People Mover is way over budget and far behind schedule. It was originally supposed to open in 2023. Then the plan was to have it open in time for the 2026 World Cup. It missed that deadline too. It seems there are still some problems as you can see in this video from September. That's a test train on the track:
Wow... LAX People Mover flashover was caught on video https://t.co/RwYuvnFJDQ
— Oren Ben-Joseph (@orenbj) October 27, 2026
I'm not sure, but I don't think it's supposed to catch fire like that. An actual expert says it's the worst flashover he's ever seen.
The video from late last month shows what experts call an arc flash or flashover during a test of the train. The train is on the tracks, and just after it passes, the platform is obscured by a blast; then sparks and smoke can be seen.
We showed the video to light-rail and people-mover expert Timothy Borchers.
"This is one of the most severe flashovers I’ve ever witnessed," Borchers told us.
He says he had already reviewed reports of 4 flashovers at LAX but had not seen the video, and it was worse than he expected.
"It could lead to a potentially catastrophic electrical incident," he adds.
Now the people building this have just announced that they won't make the latest deadline which is December. They need at least until January of next year to get this open. If it happens it would be just in time for the Super Bowl, which is in LA this coming February.
Of course, they've given us deadlines before so don't hold your breath.
The opening of the new people mover train that’s supposed to transform traffic at Los Angeles International Airport has been pushed back yet again, with contractors now aiming to launch passenger service in early January — though they won’t commit to that.
The 2.25-mile automated train originally was supposed to open in 2023, and more recently, contractors said they hoped to start service next month.
The reasons for the latest delay on the $3.3-billion project are murky.
“There can be no assurances that achievement of the Passenger Service Availability Date will not be delayed further,” the filing said.
As bad as the traffic is at LAX, I'm not sure I want anyone I know to ride this thing in the first couple months it opens, whenever that is. Let's just say after spending more than a billion dollars per mile, they don't seem to have worked out all the bugs yet. Meanwhile the bonds sold to pay for this are now in junk bond status.
Fitch Ratings recently downgraded the project’s $1.2-billion senior bond to its negative watch list. The move to junk grade territory from BB+ to BB highlighted the project’s vulnerability to default. But Shannon McCue of Fitch said the new deadline could help, since LINXS no longer is nearing an initial breach of contract.
This thing is less advanced than the Disneyland monorail which opened in 1959. When the monorail opened that year it was just under a mile long but it was expanded to 2.5 miles in 1961. So as of 65 years ago it was both a bit longer than the Skylink People Mover and much better looking.
Lopez: Disney built the monorail in a year. LAX's people mover, almost 8, hasn't left the station https://t.co/uvRSZuYeNr
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 21, 2026
Why can't we build anything anymore in California?
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy HotAir's conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join HotAir VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.