Bipartisan Lawmakers Support L.A.-to-Vegas Train

Ken Ritter of the Associated Press reports that a proposed private Las Vegas-to-Southern California bullet train is gaining widespread support from bipartisan legislators in California and Nevada. The train would have stops in Las Vegas, Victorvile, and Rancho Cucamonga, providing a new option for hundreds of thousands of tourists and residents who travel between the two regions. 

In a letter sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, lawmakers from both states expressed support for Brightline West’s plan to build a $10 billion high-speed rail line that could carry passengers between the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas in as little as two hours.

The company is requesting $3.75 billion in federal funding to complete the project, which Brightline claims would create 35,000 construction jobs, 1,000 permanent jobs, and cut carbon emissions from vehicles. Brightline West’s sister company operates a train between Miami and West Palm Beach, with an extension to Orlando coming soon.

While the Brightline train would only go as far west as the San Bernardino County suburb of Rancho Cucamonga, the station is also served by a Los Angeles Metro light rail line.