Construction is scheduled to begin next week for a new Metrolink commuter rail station serving the rechristened Hollywood Burbank Airport.

The Burbank Airport North Station will serve Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line, which which runs approximately 76 miles between the City of Lancaster and Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. It complements existing service on Metrolink's Ventura Line, which has long had a station on the south side of the airport.

As can be expected of a commuter rail station, plans call for passenger amenities including ticket vending machines, seating, bike racks and a kiss-and-ride facility. The project will also include LED display boards showing departure and arrival times for trains, buses and flights.

Once operational, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority will link the new Metrolink station with existing Burbank terminal via a shuttle bus. A 14-gate replacement terminal, which was approved by voters last November, will sit within walking distance of the train platform.

Construction will officially kick off on March 21, with a targeted completion date of May 2018. Operations are expected to commence in June 2018 or earlier.

In the more distant future, the station could benefit from higher-frequency service between Burbank, Glendale and Union Station. Additionally, the City of Glendale recently received a grant that will allow it to begin planning a streetcar line that would connect the Metrolink Station to Brand Boulevard.