Construction has commenced on a highly anticipated $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line that will connect Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Monday at the future site of a terminal to be built just south of the Las Vegas Strip.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg hailed the project as a milestone in American transportation history, stating that it will create thousands of union jobs, enhance economic opportunities, reduce road congestion, and improve air quality. Brightline West, the sister company of the existing high-speed rail operator between Miami and Orlando in Florida, plans to lay 218 miles of new track between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Brightline’s ambitious goal is to have trains operational in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The project has received significant backing from the Biden administration, including a $3 billion grant and approval to sell an additional $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles primarily consists of open space, making the construction of the rail line alongside Interstate 15 feasible.
The project showcases the first true high-speed passenger rail line in the United States, designed to reach speeds comparable to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains. Electric-powered trains will cut the current four-hour travel time across the Mojave Desert to just over two hours. Projections indicate approximately 11 million passengers per year, with fares significantly lower than airline costs.
Brightline anticipates alleviating traffic congestion on Interstate 15, a route heavily congested by Southern Californians traveling to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas metropolitan area, with a population approaching 3 million, attracts over 40 million visitors annually. Passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas recently set a record of 57.6 million people in 2023.
Brightline West, originally known as DesertXpress, has acquired the rights to the project and successfully obtained environmental approvals and labor agreements. While various other proposals for high-speed rail lines in the U.S. have faced delays, Brightline West remains on track for its anticipated completion date, offering a promising future for faster and more sustainable transportation between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
