Palmdale-North Valley Train Line Study OKd

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners on Wednesday approved a $99,400 study to explore a high-speed train route connecting the city’s soon-to-reopen Palmdale air terminal and the north San Fernando Valley.

Airport officials said the 35-mile rail link, to be studied by Kaiser Engineers, would promote the city’s long-stalled plans to expand Palmdale into a regional airport and lessen overcrowding at LAX.

Also, a bistate commission studying a separate Las Vegas-to-Anaheim high-speed train system recently offered to extend a spur to the city’s Palmdale air terminal, but only if others develop the Palmdale-to-San Fernando Valley link.

A Palmdale-to-San Fernando Valley train line was considered by Los Angeles airport officials as early as 1970 and then dropped, along with plans for a connecting segment between LAX and the San Fernando Valley. However, Kaiser recently restudied the latter segment for airport officials.

They said the upcoming new look at the Palmdale-to-San Fernando Valley line was spurred by a combination of factors, including increasing growth in the Antelope Valley, greater congestion at LAX and the resumption of commercial jet service from Palmdale in January.

The study, to be completed within six months, will include possible station locations and costs for the Palmdale-to-San Fernando Valley line. Airport officials said they had no funding plans, except that the city would not undertake it alone.