Southern California's rail network is about to get a little more room to breathe. Granite has been awarded a $51.5 million contract to build two new rail siding extensions for Metrolink, one near downtown Los Angeles and another in Rancho Cucamonga, as the regional rail authority races to add capacity before the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games arrive in Los Angeles.
According to Business Wire, the contract comes from the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, better known as Metrolink, and falls under its Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion program, or SCORE. The award bundles two separate siding extension projects, one in Rancho Cucamonga and one near Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, into a single construction package designed to boost rail capacity and support growing transportation demand across the region.
What's Planned in Rancho Cucamonga
The Rancho Cucamonga project will stretch the existing siding track north of the main line by 4,600 feet, pushing the total siding length to 15,600 feet, according to Metrolink. The agency says the work will happen almost entirely within its own right-of-way, west of the existing Rancho Cucamonga Station, limiting the project's footprint on surrounding streets.
Two road crossings are also set for upgrades as part of the project. At Hellman Avenue, the single-track crossing will become a double-track crossing, while the double-track crossing at Archibald Avenue will be rebuilt as a triple-track crossing, per the same Metrolink project page. The agency frames the work as part of its broader SCORE capital plan to prepare the Metrolink system for the 2028 Games and beyond.
A Second Siding Near Downtown LA
The other half of the contract covers the Marengo Siding Extension, planned along the San Bernardino Line in the City of Los Angeles, near the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center and west of the Cal State LA Station, the agency's project page states. That siding will be extended to the east by 3,325 feet, bringing its total length to roughly 10,250 feet.
The Marengo project also includes new signals, signal houses and a signal tower, plus a new turnout and improvements to the Marengo and Soto Street overpasses, per the project description. Metrolink says the extension, when combined with its separate El Monte project, could eventually let passengers wait no more than 30 minutes for a train in either direction, if future demand and funding line up. A similar 30-minute service goal is tied to the Rancho Cucamonga work as well.
Economic Projections Tied to the Program
Metrolink's SCORE program comes with ambitious economic forecasts attached. A SCORE study cited on the agency's Rancho Cucamonga project page projects that San Bernardino County residents could see 6,700 new jobs and $1.732 million in gross regional product by 2028, growing to 62,200 new jobs and $67 billion in economic activity by 2050.
For Los Angeles County, the same type of SCORE study referenced on the Marengo project page estimates 45,700 new jobs and $9.801 billion in gross regional product by 2028, assuming service demand and future funding materialize. By 2050, that figure is projected to reach 704,900 new jobs and a cumulative $356 billion in economic activity.
Granite's Growing Footprint on Metrolink's System
This is not Granite's first rodeo with Southern California rail work. The company recently completed Metrolink's Moreno Valley/March Field station expansion, a project it was awarded in 2022 for $22 million, according to Construction Dive. Granite also won a separate $24 million contract to transform the Perris South Metrolink Station and Layover Facility in Riverside County, adding a second passenger boarding platform and more than 1,100 feet of new track so two trains can load and unload at once, converting what is now a single-track terminus into a hub built for bidirectional peak service.
Construction on that Perris South project was expected to begin early the following year, with completion slated for 2028, Construction Dive reported. Granite Regional Vice President Bill Moore said in a statement reported by Business Wire that winning the first SCORE-procured project supports the company's regional rail strategy and positions it to pursue future work. Moore added that he looks forward to bringing Granite's experience to its new relationship with Metrolink and said he is excited about the company's role in increasing public mobility in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.
Construction on the new siding projects is expected to begin in January 2027 and reach completion by July 2028, according to Business Wire's reporting. Granite, which was incorporated in 1922 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GVA, says the project will be included in its fourth-quarter 2026 CAP. The company describes itself as a diversified construction and construction materials provider with experience on prior rail projects for the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
Beyond the specific projects now underway, Metrolink ridership has shown signs of growth. According to a transportation trends report from the Southern California Association of Governments, Metrolink ridership rose from 621,514 trips in June 2025 to 674,501 trips in June 2026, an 8.5 percent year-over-year increase that the report suggests may partly reflect additional regional travel demand tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
