The privately funded train would shuttle passengers between Los Angeles and Las Vegas in half the time it takes to drive and could take 3 million vehicles off the road.
A high speed rail connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas could break ground next year, promising to cut the trip between Southern California and Vegas to just over two hours. As Dan Zukowski writes in Smart Cities Dive,the $8 billion, privately funded project would operate high speed trains along the Interstate 15 corridor, primarily using the highway median.
According to Zukowski, “A total of $1 billion in private activity bonds has been approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation for Brightline West, with the actual borrowing to be done by the states of California and Nevada. Brightline West may soon ask California to issue $200 million in private activity bonds, Bloomberg News reported this week.”
The operator, Brightline, already runs passenger trains in Florida. “Brightline acquired a station site along Las Vegas Boulevard and reached an agreement with authorities in California to purchase a 5-acre site at the Rancho Cucamonga Station,” which would connect to regional transit options. According to Brightline, the train could remove 3 million vehicles from California and Nevada roads each year.
FULL STORY: High-speed rail line from LA to Las Vegas could begin construction in 2023
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Brightline West Moves Forward With Finalized Federal Funding
The high-speed rail line will connect Southern California and Las Vegas via a two-hour trip along Interstate 15.
Brightline West Awarded $3 Billion in Federal Funding
The high-speed rail line will cut travel time between Southern California and Las Vegas roughly in half.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research