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Metro Board Unanimously Backs Fully Underground Sepulveda Rail Link

The vote moves the project into detailed design and final environmental review, with tens of billions in funding still to be secured.

A rendering of the proposed Sepulveda Transit Corridor project
FILE- The 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass. LA Metro will vote on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, to approve a chosen route for a heavy-rail underground subway project through the pass, connecting the San Fernando Valley with the Westside and providing a no-car alternative to commuters. (SCNG photo)
Image
A view of the 405 Freeway on Los Angeles’ Westside.

Overview

  • Directors selected Modified Alternative 5 as the locally preferred option, advancing a heavy-rail subway to connect Van Nuys with the E Line’s Expo/Sepulveda Station.
  • The alignment spans nearly 13 to 14 miles with about seven stations, including an on-campus stop at UCLA and links to the G Line, the future East San Fernando Valley line, and the Van Nuys Metrolink station.
  • Metro estimates a $20 billion to $25 billion price tag, with roughly $3.5 billion secured from Measures M and R and the rest expected to require state, federal and potentially private financing.
  • The route will be entirely underground with tunnels at least 500 feet deep beneath the Santa Monica Mountains, and the board directed expanded community outreach and study of potential connections to the Getty Center.
  • Projected service includes 18–20 minute end-to-end trips, peak frequencies of about every 2.5 minutes, and up to roughly 124,000 daily rides, with the initial build focusing on the segment from the G Line in Van Nuys to the D Line in Westwood.