Leaders from the federal government, transportation, and unions came together in Las Vegas on Monday to hammer spikes into a symbolic rail, signaling the start of building a $12 billion high-speed rail that will connect Las Vegas with the Los Angeles region.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Monday that Americans have been hoping for high-speed rail for many years, expressing his belief in the project's reality. before the groundbreaking ceremony. “It’s really happening this time.”
Brightline West, the sole private passenger rail company offering high-speed service in the U.S., plans to construct a 218-mile intercity passenger rail system between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where it would link with Los Angeles’s current regional rail system.
On Monday, Buttigieg praised the Biden administration’s backing of the plan, highlighting its potential to generate thousands of union jobs and support local economies, The Associated Press reported.
It is estimated that the project will cost around $12 billion, with the Biden administration last year granting approval for $3 billion of the funding greenlit last year.
The journey is expected to take just over two hours, with trains traveling at speeds of up to 180 mph. This is almost twice as fast as driving.
Supporters of the project hope that the rail line will lower transportation expenses and decrease traffic and emissions. Roughly 16 million people drive from Las Vegas to Southern California on Interstate 15 every year through the Mojave Desert.
Brightline predicts the project could reduce 3 million car trips annually. The company aims to finish construction in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I believe we’ll look back at today and say, ’This was the birth of an industry of high-speed rail,’” said Brightline Holdings founder Wes Edens on Monday, according to the AP.
Brightline, which is headquartered in Florida, introduced a high-speed Orlando to Miami service, the first of its kind, last year. These trains can reach speeds up to 125 mph and offer 16 round-trips per day, the news wire reported.
