Southeast Gateway Line

Alignment

The Southeast Gateway Line, formerly the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, is a planned light rail line through southeast Los Angeles County. Its first segment runs 14.5 miles from the A Line’s Slauson station in Florence-Firestone to a new Pioneer station in Artesia, serving Huntington Park, Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Downey, Paramount and Bellflower on the way. Leaving the A Line corridor, it heads east on the former Pacific Electric Whittier Line along Randolph Street, then runs south beside Union Pacific’s San Pedro Subdivision, and joins the old Pacific Electric West Santa Ana Branch right-of-way south of Paramount. About 12.1 miles would be at grade, with 30 grade crossings, and 2.4 miles elevated. The nine stations are Slauson/A Line, Pacific/Randolph, Florence/Salt Lake, Firestone, Gardendale, I-105/C Line, Paramount/Rosecrans, Bellflower and Pioneer. A new infill station on the C Line at the I-105 freeway will provide the transfer. The segment also includes up to five parking facilities and a maintenance and storage facility in Bellflower.

The northern segment into downtown remains unresolved. The board chose Union Station as the eventual northern terminus in 2022, but the roughly 4.8-mile Slauson–Union Station section is only at the study stage. In May 2025 the board directed staff to pursue an underground alignment beneath Alameda Street and to look at an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) to pay for it. With that subway, the full line of more than 19 miles could cost up to $7.75 billion. Metro says it will not resume work on the Union Station segment until it has secured the federal agreement for the southern segment and set up the EIFD with the City and County of Los Angeles.

Updates

2026-06 — Federal funding agreement targeted for 2027

Metro’s June 2026 project facts set the next steps as securing a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for the Slauson–Pioneer segment by 2027 and establishing an EIFD for the Union Station segment. They forecast completion of the line by 2035.

2025-05 — Board backs downtown subway study and tax-increment financing

The Metro Board approved a motion by Supervisor Hilda Solis to pursue an underground alignment beneath Alameda Street toward Union Station, funded in part by an EIFD. More than $2 billion had been identified for the 14.5-mile first phase, which was expected to cost about $5 billion, leaving a large funding gap.

2025-02 — Advanced works contract awarded

Metro awarded the Advanced Works construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) contract to the Flatiron-Herzog joint venture. Its scope includes relocating utilities and freight tracks, installing grade crossings, and building bridges over the I-105 freeway and the C Line infill station.

2025-01 — FTA allows early work to count toward federal funding

In a January 17 letter of no prejudice, the Federal Transit Administration allowed Metro to be reimbursed up to $985 million in federal funds for early construction such as hazardous-materials abatement, railroad relocation and grade crossings. Nearly $2 billion in local Measure R and Measure M sales-tax money is set aside for construction.

2024-10 — Utility relocation begins; $231 million state grant

Metro broke ground on advance utility relocation in Artesia. The state awarded the project $231 million from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, the largest award in that cycle. The initial segment was then estimated at more than $5 billion, and extending to Union Station would need at least another $2 billion.

2024-08 — Federal Record of Decision issued

The FTA issued the Record of Decision for the Slauson–Pioneer segment, completing federal environmental review.

2024-04 — Final environmental document certified

On April 25 the Metro Board certified the Final EIS/EIR for the 14.5-mile segment, which was then estimated at $4.9–5.1 billion. About $2 billion in local and state funds was committed, and service was then planned to begin in 2033.

2022-01 — Board selects the Slauson–Pioneer first segment

The Metro Board approved the alignment between Slauson/A Line and Pioneer, mostly at grade on existing rail corridors, as the project’s first segment, with Union Station as the eventual northern terminus.