Officials recently broke ground on a new high-speed rail system called Brightline West that will connect Southern California to Las Vegas. The system will have an average speed of about 115 miles per hour and reach a top speed of around 200 mph, comparable to high-speed rail systems around the world. The project received $3 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the rest will be privately funded. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg believes that once Americans experience high-speed rail on U.S. soil, they will demand it all across the country.
The Brightline West system will run across a 218-mile route between Las Vegas and three California stops, including Rancho Cucamonga, which is 40 miles east of Los Angeles. The company aims to have the rail system operational by 2028, around the time when Los Angeles is hosting the Summer Olympics. The train will take passengers from Southern California to Las Vegas in about two hours, which is half the driving time between the two locations. The project is expected to have a significant economic impact, creating more than 35,000 jobs in Nevada and California during construction.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating that the project will not only create thousands of jobs but also bring critical transportation infrastructure to the West. Brightline’s first rail system was launched in Florida and connects Miami to Orlando, with trains reaching speeds of up to 125 mph and the journey taking approximately 3.5 hours. The company aims to provide an innovative, fast, and sustainable transportation solution through the Brightline West system.
The Eurostar between London and Paris also averages similar speeds and tops out at around 200 mph, demonstrating the competitive nature of high-speed rail systems worldwide. Amtrak’s current Acela line from Boston to Washington, D.C., plans to introduce a high-speed fleet that will reach speeds of 160 mph. Brightline West aims to be the “first true high-speed rail system” in the U.S., offering a reliable and efficient mode of transportation for passengers traveling between Southern California and Las Vegas.
Buttigieg emphasized that the implementation of high-speed rail in America has been a long-awaited dream that is finally becoming a reality due to the support from President Biden’s infrastructure law. The project is expected to revolutionize transportation in the U.S., with people experiencing high-speed rail on local soil for the first time. The convenience, efficiency, and economic benefits of the Brightline West system have the potential to pave the way for similar projects across the country, meeting the growing demands of passengers for faster, more sustainable modes of travel.
