Brightline West Moves Forward With Finalized Federal Funding

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) signed off on $3 billion in funding for the Brightline West high-speed rail project that will connect Las Vegas to the Los Angeles area, releasing the funding to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and keeping the project on track to begin construction in 2025.

As Greg Haas explains in NewsNation, “Initial estimates indicate the high-speed train project will cost $12 billion. The train will run on tracks in the median of Interstate 15 and serve four stations — Las Vegas, and three stations in California at Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga, where it will connect to existing Metrolink lines to Los Angeles.”

Brightline already operates a high-speed rail line in Florida connecting Orlando and Miami. The company expects to launch the Southern California-to-Vegas service in time for the 2028 Olympics, which Los Angeles is hosting. The trip will take roughly two hours, with trains traveling at top speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. “The train is expected to reduce traffic congestion on I-15, removing 3 million cars from roadways and eliminating more than 400,000 tons of emissions annually, according to Brightline.”