Ground broken for 2nd stage of LA rail line

Phase II of the Expo line will begin construction of rails between Culver City and Santa Monica, a distance of nearly 7 miles that will have seven stations.

The line will end at 4th Street and Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, where city officials marked the occasion with a groundbreaking ceremony.

"The demand for this service is very high and, as a result, we expect that the Expo Line will be one of the most heavily used light rail lines in the nation," said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Expo Board Chair Zev Yaroslavsky.

Train testing was already under way on the first phase that spans an 8 1/2-mile ride from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City. Most of that stage was scheduled to open this year, with a final section to begin operations in 2012.