See it to believe it—yesterday, for the first time in more than 50 years, a passenger train rolled into downtown Santa Monica. Granted, it was being pushed by a truck, but that's just because it was part of the initial testing of the Expo Line's final leg of a 6.6 mile extension from Culver City to the intersection of 4th Street and Colorado, just steps from the Santa Monica Pier. We could be riding the train to Downtown LA as soon as next spring.

"Los Angeles is well-known for its traffic. But soon, Angelenos will have the option to travel between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica in approximately 46 minutes – even during rush hour. Currently under construction, Phase 2 of the Expo Line will extend light rail service from the current terminus in Culver City to Santa Monica, with 7 new stations serving popular destinations along the Westside." —BuildExpo.org

Read more about it here: http://www.buildexpo.org, http://www.metro.net/expo or http://thesource.metro.net 

Images and video: Metro Los Angeles