Photo: Ceremonial first train carrying dignitaries breaks through banner as part of opening day ceremony for Glendora to Pomona extension on September 19, 2025
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) has issued a year-end review highlighting a historic year for the Foothill Gold Line light rail program. This year saw the 9-mile, four-station Glendora to Pomona project segment reach substantial completion on time and on budget – the third Foothill Gold Line segment to do so – prior to its turnover to Metro for the opening of passenger service. Meanwhile, the Construction Authority made significant progress in spite of challenges throughout the year on readying the next extension from Pomona to Claremont for construction – setting up 2026 for even more milestones on the path to fulfilling the agency’s 25-station legislative mandate.
2025: A Year of Historic Achievement, Setting Up Next Chapter of Foothill Gold Line
On January 3, 2025, after five years of design and construction, the Glendora to Pomona project segment reached substantial completion on time and on budget. The project added new stations to the Metro A Line system in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona. Following substantial completion, the project was turned over to Metro, who carried out final testing, training and pre-revenue operations before opening the extension for passenger service on September 19, 2025.
This achievement marked the third segment of the Foothill Gold Line delivered by the Construction Authority and its design-builders on time and on budget; the earlier segments from Union Station to Pasadena (13.7 miles, 13 stations) and Pasadena to Azusa (11.5 miles, six stations) were completed in 2003 and 2015, respectively. In total, 23 of the 25 planned Foothill Gold Line stations from Los Angeles to Montclair are now complete and operational.
“This year, the San Gabriel Valley didn’t just gain new tracks; it gained a new future,” stated Foothill Gold Line Board Chair and Claremont Vice Mayor Ed Reece. “By connecting Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, and Pomona to the rest of Los Angeles County, we’ve opened doors to jobs, education, and housing that were previously out of reach for many. This is a generational shift in how our residents will live, work, and thrive.”
And, despite challenges, 2025 also saw the Construction Authority make progress on the next Foothill Gold Line project.
Following multiple concerns that arose early in the year from the then-ongoing procurement to hire a design-builder for the project, the Construction Authority board of directors made the decision to cancel that initial procurement and adopt the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method to ensure the best use of taxpayer funds and to prioritize efficient construction. That new delivery method required the agency to develop a plan to procure a design/engineering team first and then separately a construction manager; the design/engineering procurement was initiated in June and the construction manager procurement in October.
Initially inclusive of the remaining Foothill Gold Line system from Pomona to Montclair, both procurements were adjusted late in the year to focus on the Los Angeles County portion after the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) board of directors decided in September to remove local funding for the portion of the project in San Bernardino County. With that decision, and the Metro board’s decision in late 2024 to award $798 million to complete the portion of the project in Los Angeles County, the Construction Authority amended the ongoing procurements at the end of the year to focus on the Pomona to Claremont project and expects to hire both teams in the coming months.
What to Expect in 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, the Construction Authority is on schedule to complete the procurement processes for the Pomona to Claremont project and initiate work with the winning design/engineering and construction manager teams. In January, the Construction Authority expects to award the design/engineering services contract, and in May award the construction manager contract. While some pre-construction activities may begin in 2026, the year will be dedicated to preparing the final design/engineering drawings for the project. Major construction on the Pomona to Claremont project is expected to begin in 2027, with project completion expected in 2031.
“We are moving into construction on the Pomona to Claremont segment thanks to Metro’s unwavering investment and partnership,” added Reece. “However, our eyes remain fixed on the finish line: Montclair. Completing these final two stations is essential for regional mobility, and I am confident that by working with our San Bernardino County partners, we will make 2026 a year of major breakthroughs.”