Gold Line Extension Nears Completion

LOS ANGELES—The 11.5-mile extension of the Foothill Gold Line light rail between Pasadena and Azusa is nearing completion. The train tracks are now complete and the project has entered the testing phase, where the train will run on the tracks between California Avenue in Monrovia and the San Gabriel River Bridge in Irwindale. The testing phase marks the 10-month countdown until the light rail is open to the public.

The test train was initially pulled for five miles by a hi-rail vehicle from the Sierra Madre Villa station in East Pasadena through the cities of Arcadia and Monrovia, before running the train tracks. The train is equipped with testing gear for protective purposes. The construction team will test clearance heights at each station over the next two weeks, as well as testing wheel/rail interface, rail switches and conduct a live wire testing of the OCS system. Testing will continue until September, when the construction crew will hand the project over to the Metro for pre-revenue service.