VAN NUYS - On Thursday, Councilmember Krekorian participated in a ceremony inaugurating the newly rebuilt Van Nuys Train Station, following a two-year construction period.The councilmember, who is also on the Metrolink board, noted that the theme of the station honors the General Motors Assembly Plant that operated nearby between 1947 until its closing in 1992.
At its peak, in 1979, the GM plant employed 5,132 people. Krekorian contrasted this figure with a study by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation showing that Metrolink's Rail Expansion program is expected to generate 1.3 million jobs through 2050. The same study predicts that the nine-year construction period alone will account for at least 110,000 jobs, paying on average nearly $64,000 annually.
The $32 million project - all but $1 million provided by the state of California - moved and rebuilt the train platform to the center of the double-decked station. The goal is to improve operational efficiency, maintain on-time performance, and enable more future train service for Metrolink and Amtrak.