What is the name of the light rail and subway network serving Los Angeles? It is Metro Rail.
Metro Rail is the rail-transit arm of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, usually branded simply as Metro. It combines light rail and rapid-transit subway services rather than describing only one type of train. The system began service on July 14, 1990, with the original Blue Line between Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Today, Metro Rail includes four light rail lines—the A, C, E and K lines—and two rapid-transit lines, the B and D lines. The subway lines run entirely underground, while the light rail routes use a mixture of street-level, elevated, trenched and underground sections. This is why “Metro Rail” is more precise than “subway” alone.
A common mix-up is Metrolink, which is Southern California’s regional commuter-rail network and a separate operation. BART serves the San Francisco Bay Area, while Muni Metro is San Francisco’s light rail and streetcar system. Metro Rail is the Los Angeles network connecting destinations such as Downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Pasadena and North Hollywood.