





Metro officials Monday said they have entered the final phase of testing along the first segment of the Expo Line, a signal that the train could open to the public by early April.



The final testing phase, called pre-revenue service, generally takes about three months and simulates actual service but without passengers.



It includes training some 100 operators and supervisors along the full segment from the 7th Street/Metro Center stop downtown to the La Cienega/Jefferson stop 7.9 miles away at the eastern edge of Culver City.



Officials have not yet set an opening date and said the final testing phase could run shorter or longer.



Technical problems previously held up the testing, specifically at the junction where the Expo Line shares tracks with the Blue Line. The issue was that signals from the track were not reaching rail operators along that part of the line.

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Photo: Officer Engineer Chris Fernando, left, greets Rail Transit Supervisor Everett Wooden as Metro staff test a train on the first phase of the Expo Line near Exposition Park and the USC campus in September. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times