The contractor building the LAX Automated People Mover will soon initiate a simulation of how the train will operate when it begins shuttling travelers between airport terminals and the L.A. Metro system... “It’s a big milestone for the project, and a visible milestone,” said Jake Adams, an airport executive who is overseeing $5.5 billion in LAX upgrades, including the people mover.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that manages LAX, and its contractor for the people mover have escalated their rhetoric over a dispute that began last year over faulty electrical equipment, according to an LAist review of correspondences received through a public records request. Adams said he’s “fairly optimistic” that the dispute can be resolved separately from opening the train to the public, even if it intensifies into a legal battle.
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The testing milestone that is slated to begin the week of April 20 is designed to assess the reliability of the train. “The requirement is that [the contractor has] to operate it for 30 consecutive days without a hiccup,” Adams said of the testing phase known as “system demonstration...” Adams said the process is likely to take a total of 60 days based on conversations with other airports that have developed similar people mover systems... Adams did not commit to a date for when travelers will be able to fully use the train.