Southwest High-Speed Rail Project Awarded $2.5 Billion in Private Bonds

The Brightline West line will break ground this year.

1 minute read

January 25, 2024, 10:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Rendering of Brightline West high-speed rail station in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rendering of proposed Brightline West station in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Brightline West / Las Vegas Station Front Elevation

The Brightline West high-speed rail project is moving along, well, speedily with the recent approval of another $2.5 billion in “private activity bonds” financing. As an article for KTNV explains, “The DOT previously approved a $1 billion bond in 2020 to Brightline, a $3 billion grant in December 2023 to Nevada DOT, and a $25 million grant to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.”

The 218-mile rail line will be fully electric and connect Las Vegas to a transit center in Rancho Cucamonga, California, where riders can connect to other Southern California train systems. According to Brightline Founder and Chairman Wes Edens, “Connecting Las Vegas and Southern California will provide wide-spread public benefits to both states, creating thousands of jobs and jumpstarting a new level of economic competitiveness for the region.”

The project is expected to break ground early this year, with much of the line using existing right-of-way on Interstate 15.

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