Los Angeles' Busiest Train Station Is Getting A Major Upgrade For Its High-Speed Rail

Unveiled in 1939 as an Art Deco transportation hub, Union Station in Los Angeles ranks among the most beautiful train stations in America, according to passengers. It's also the largest passenger railroad hub on the West Coast and the busiest train station in the City of Angels, seeing thousands of people on the go every day. All of those travelers may need to start preparing for their usual route to change, though. That's because, after years of discussion and deliberation, the LA Metro agency authorized a $3 million modernization project to bring run-through tracks and (eventually) high-speed trains to the station. As urban planning news outlet Streetsblog LA reported in February 2026, these updates could be done within five years. However, a few factors complicate that estimate.

As Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins told board chair Fernando Dutra during a Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board meeting, the five-year timetable "presumes full funding which we do not have. It's five years if we have full funding today." About a week after that, another board meeting upped the project's preconstruction budget to roughly $507 million. With that funding secured and hope in sight, here are some of the developments passengers can look forward to as part of this initiative the LA Metro is calling Link Union Station (Link US).

LA Union Station's planned updates focus on three main areas: the station itself, the section north of it, and the southern section. Key changes for the main station include an expanded passageway, the addition of two plazas (one east and one west), and an elevated rail yard featuring several brand new canopies and platforms. The northern area's plan includes enhanced safety features on North Main Street, bridge replacements for Cesar Chavez Avenue and Vignes Street, and six new lead tracks. To the south, a West Bank yard for BNSF Railway is planned, alongside four new high-speed rail and six regional/intercity run-through tracks. The southern section is also slated to incorporate bridges and embankments between First Street and Union Station. Outside of those three main areas, other planned changes include removing 5,500 feet of storage track capacity and dedicating lead tracks for Amtrak and BNSF freight trains.

For further details on the Link US project and how it may impact passengers, the LA Metro agency has created an overview fact sheet packed with information. That info ranges from environmental considerations to a map highlighting key areas for project activities and a rundown explaining the anticipated benefits travelers can look forward to experiencing. Among those benefits are increased service capacity, reduced idling times, job growth, and upgraded pedestrian access.

While locals await these changes, they can spend some time diving into the details of what makes LA's Union Station such an iconic spot. Reading up on its status as the city's most filmed building is a great place to start this journey. From there, you can also branch out to read about the most filmed college campus in the world, which is located just about 5 miles from Union Station.