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General · North America

LAX people-mover test video shows severe electrical flash, fire and smoke

Video of a SkyLink people-mover test at Los Angeles International Airport shows an electrical flash followed by fire and smoke on the tracks. Los Angeles World Airports cited guidance saying arc flashes are not uncommon during testing, while expert Timothy Borchers said the footage concerned him.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 3 independent reports from 4 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 3 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 3 entries
4 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Mostly CenterL 0 · C 2 · R 1 · 1 unrated
Updat3 graphic: North America
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • Expert Timothy Borchers described the footage as concerning and said the flashover continued for a noticeable period (per New York Post).
  • Borchers said measures should be in place to extinguish a flashover immediately (per New York Post).
  • Los Angeles World Airports pointed to a website stating that arc flashes are not uncommon during testing (per New York Post).
  • The SkyLink people-mover opening has been delayed (per New York Post).
  • LINXS, the project contractor, said the system responded as designed and that System Demonstration Testing had restarted (per New York Post).
  • The contractor said the train needs 30 consecutive days of successful testing and an independent overview and assessment by Los Angeles World Airports (per New York Post).

The brief

Video of a SkyLink people-mover test at Los Angeles International Airport shows an electrical flash followed by fire and smoke on the tracks. The New York Post reported that the video depicts a malfunction during a test run. The footage shows an electrical event on the tracks; the outlet did not specify when the test occurred.

Expert Timothy Borchers told Fox LA that the footage concerned him. He said the flashover lasted for a noticeable period and that measures should be in place to extinguish a flashover immediately. The New York Post also quoted Borchers describing it as one of the most severe flashovers he had witnessed.

Los Angeles World Airports pointed to a website stating that arc flashes are not uncommon during testing. The New York Post did not identify the website or provide further detail about the guidance. The agency’s statement addresses the possibility of arc flashes during testing, while Borchers focused on the duration and the need for immediate extinguishing measures.

LINXS, the contractor for the project, told Fox LA that the system responded as designed and that System Demonstration Testing had restarted. The New York Post reported that the SkyLink opening has been delayed. The account does not connect the delay directly to the video or the flash.

The automated train is 2.25 miles long and is intended to move passengers between terminals at Los Angeles International Airport. The New York Post reported that the wider project also includes transportation connections involving economy parking, the rental car center and the LAX Metro Transit Center.

The contractor said the train must complete 30 consecutive days of successful testing and receive an independent overview and an assessment by Los Angeles World Airports. In a filing quoted by the New York Post, the contractor said it could not guarantee that the Passenger Service Availability Date would avoid further delay.

The New York Post also reported that officials have said the project is more than 99% complete. It said the project has faced a legal fight and cost overruns, without providing further details about either. Those conditions, along with the testing requirement and the contractor’s warning, frame the remaining steps toward opening.

Why it matters

  • Passengers using Los Angeles International Airport are the population most directly affected by the delayed opening of a train intended to connect terminals.
  • The contractor’s stated threshold is 30 consecutive days of successful testing, followed by an independent overview and an assessment by Los Angeles World Airports.
  • The project is reported as more than 99% complete, but the opening remains delayed and the contractor has warned of possible further delay.

What to watch next

  • Whether LINXS completes 30 consecutive days of successful testing.
  • Whether the project receives the independent overview and assessment by Los Angeles World Airports.
  • Whether the contractor’s stated Passenger Service Availability Date is delayed further.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
4 source articles · 4 unique outlets · 3 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Mostly Center· 2 Center · 1 Right · 1 unrated
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 75% · Unknown 25%
Outlet political mix
Mostly Center
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
2 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
4 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among outlets based in US/Canada (3 of 4 geographically-identified sources).
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Los Angeles World Airports’ Master Plan set out major changes to LAX facilities and airport access, including improved public-transit links.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. Los Angeles World Airports approved the Landside Access Modernization Program, which included an automated people mover at LAX.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. Los Angeles World Airports selected the LINXS consortium in April 2018 to design, build, operate and maintain the LAX Automated People Mover under a public-private partnership.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

Los Angeles World Airports selected the LINXS consortium in April 2018 to design, build, operate and maintain the LAX Automated People Mover under a public-private partnership. The project was intended to connect airport terminals with the Metro rail system, rental-car facilities and parking. Construction began in March 2019, with passenger service initially planned for 2023.

Its planned connections made it part of a wider LAX ground-transportation program: the airport’s 2004 Master Plan had laid out major changes to airport facilities and access, including improved links to public transit. The LINXS agreement placed responsibility for building and operating the system with the consortium, while Los Angeles World Airports retained oversight.

Original sources

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