High-Speed Rail Line From Las Vegas to California Receives $3 Billion Pledge From Biden Administration

A high-speed rail connection between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles region is being proposed.

The Biden administration has pledged $3 billion to support the construction of a high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas and Southern California, as per The Independent.

Brightline's High-Speed Rail Boosted by Federal Grant

This substantial federal grant has been awarded to Brightline, the nation's only private intercity passenger railroad, and will play a crucial role in the creation of a $12 billion high-speed railway.

This extraordinary infusion of federal funding for a private project is poised to revolutionize rail travel in the country. Brightline West, as the project is known, received a significant boost with the grant from the US Department of Transportation, which was officially announced by Nevada's two US senators on Tuesday.

Brightline West has emerged as a leading project in the push for a domestic high-speed rail system, garnering attention from both industry leaders and transportation officials. The venture boasts key assets such as land, federal approvals, and labor agreements, positioning it to potentially break ground and complete construction in a remarkable four-year timeframe.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) highlighted the benefits of this high-speed rail connection, stating, "Connecting Las Vegas and Southern California by high-speed rail will create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs, boost our Southern Nevada tourism economy, and finally help us cut down on I-15 traffic."

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) echoed these sentiments, describing the project as a "game changer" and emphasizing the vital role of federal aid in its realization.

Brightline, in partnership with the Nevada Department of Transportation, submitted a comprehensive 4,000-page application for a $3.75 billion federal grant under the federal infrastructure law earlier this year. While the awarded amount falls short of the requested sum, it remains one of the largest federal investments in a privately developed transportation project in modern US history, according to The Washington Post.

Historic Funding For Brightline's High-Speed Rail

Wes Edens, the founder and chairman of Brightline, expressed gratitude for the trust placed in the project by President Biden, Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Senator Rosen, and other supporters. He heralded this moment as historic and anticipates it will serve as a blueprint for future high-speed rail initiatives across the country.

In June, Brightline West received a $25 million federal grant earmarked for the design and construction of two stations in California. The latest federal grant, intended to cover approximately one-third of the project's cost, will be supplemented by private capital and tax-free debt, known as private activity bonds, to finance the remaining expenses. Company officials had previously emphasized the need for this federal funding to initiate construction.

The electrified rail link, spanning 265 miles from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga and connecting to downtown Los Angeles via commuter train, is estimated to cost $12 billion-three times the initial estimate from the mid-2000s.

The concept of a high-speed rail link between Las Vegas and Southern California was first proposed in 2005. Brightline's acquisition of the project in 2018 rekindled hopes for its realization. The company has subsequently secured land for four stations and obtained the right of way in the median of Interstate 15 to facilitate the construction of high-speed tracks.

This high-speed rail line is expected to transport passengers between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga in just 2 hours and 10 minutes, with trains reaching speeds of up to 186 mph. Advocates believe the system will alleviate road congestion, removing approximately 3 million vehicles from the road, generating 35,000 jobs, and increasing tourism between Nevada and California.

While an official construction start date has not been announced, Senator Rosen suggested that electric-powered trains could be operational by the time Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028. With bipartisan support and strong backing from federal lawmakers, this ambitious project holds the promise of transforming transportation between Las Vegas and Southern California while also addressing traffic issues on the I-15 freeway, ABC 7 reported.