S. Greg Panosian from Getty Images Signature via Canva / Metro Los Angeles
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Senior Staff Writer
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March 4, 2026
L.A.’s historic Union Station is on the verge of a major overhaul, with groundbreaking anticipated as soon as this spring.
The project, called Link Union Station (Link US), plans to transform Union Station from a stub-end terminal into a through-station with run-through tracks. Not only will this increase daily train capacity, but it also prepares L.A. for the future of California High-Speed Rail.
Metro Los Angeles approved Link US’s $3 billion Phase 1 modernization in October 2025, with an initial projected start date for “early construction” estimated for spring 2026, according to Streetsblog LA. While the construction is anticipated to last 5 years, its official start date has not been finalized, pending more funding decisions.
Transforming the busiest transit hub in the western U.S.
Metro Los Angeles
Union Station has been Los Angeles’ main railway station since 1939 and currently serves an estimated 110,000 people each day. It’s a classic L.A. landmark with coffered wooden ceilings, dazzling chandeliers, and opulent mahogany seating that have remained unchanged for decades.
However, the station’s “stub-end” design has become antiquated in the face of future transit projects, as it requires trains to reverse in order to leave the station.
With the Link US project, the station will incorporate new run-through tracks on an elevated rail yard, using a viaduct to cross over the 101. The change will allow trains to pass directly through Union Station, effectively reducing delays and increasing capacity in anticipation of future California High-Speed Rail trains.
The project also plans to expand passenger areas, upgrade signage and signal systems, and add elevators and escalators for better accessibility.
Metro Los Angeles still lists the project in the Design Phase.
Link US and California High-Speed Rail
Kings-Tulare station rendering / Courtesy of CAHSR
Link US is partially funded by California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR), which is gearing up to begin laying high-speed track along the Central Valley segment this year.
With the opening of the new Southern Railhead Facility in Kern County, CAHSR is finally in a position to start dispatching construction materials and systems for track installation between Merced and Bakersfield. If all goes to schedule, this section of CA HSR could start serving passengers as early as 2032.
CAHSR boasts a travel time of just 2 hours and 40 minutes for the eventual full route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. While environmental clearance has been approved, there is still no projected project completion date for the entire L.A.-to-S.F. stretch.