High-Speed Rail Linking Las Vegas to Southern California Is Underway

Ground has been broken for a new high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas to Southern California. The Brightline West system is set to run at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour (115 mph on average), traveling a 218-mile route that includes stops in three California cities, with Rancho Cucamonga being the closest to Los Angeles, located about 40 miles east.

Funding for the project comes from a combination of $3 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and private investment. The new rail system aims to be up and running by 2028, coinciding with Los Angeles hosting the Summer Olympics. This ambitious timeline promises to cut travel time between Southern California and Las Vegas in half, taking passengers from one destination to the other in approximately two hours.

The Brightline West system is heralded as the “first true high-speed rail system” in the U.S., matching the speeds seen in other global systems. For comparison, the Eurostar between London and Paris averages around 150 mph, while the current Amtrak Acela line from Boston to Washington, D.C., operates at up to 150 mph but averages only 70 mph. Acela has plans to boost its speed to 160 mph with a new high-speed fleet.

The economic impact of this project is expected to exceed $10 billion and generate more than 35,000 jobs during its construction phase in both Nevada and California. This development aims to provide a sustainable transportation solution and meet the increasing demand for efficient travel options in the region.

Brightline West is not new to high-speed rail operations; its first system launched in Florida, connecting Miami and Orlando with trains reaching speeds of up to 125 mph, covering the distance in about 3.5 hours.

With the backing of significant funding and support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, high-speed rail travel, a long-awaited dream for many Americans, is finally becoming a reality.