Brightline’s Vegas-to-LA project advances; heavy construction to begin in 2025

A $3 billion grant awarded to Brightline West and the Nevada Department of Transportation for the Las Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed rail project has been signed by the Federal Railroad Administration.

The act officially awards the billions of dollars in federal money, first announced by President Joe Biden in December, toward the $12 billion project.

“This is a historic commitment that will jump-start the high-speed rail industry in America, creating thousands of jobs all across the country,” Michael Reininger, CEO of Brightline, said in a statement. “Brightline West will be American made and American built, and will serve as the blueprint for connecting city pairs that are too close to fly but too far to drive.”

The project also previously saw the U.S. Department of Transportation approve a total of $3.5 billion in private activity bonding authority for the project. Those bonds are a debt instrument authorized for highway and freight projects that allow private entities to benefit from tax exempt municipal bonds. Brightline plans to pay for the remainder of the project costs with a mix of debt and equity.

Crews have been drilling geotechnical borings along Interstate 15 over the past year. With the grant now signed, heavy work will begin early next year on the 218-mile rail line, according to Brightline.

The high-speed rail system would connect a Las Vegas station, set to be built on Las Vegas Boulevard between Blue Diamond and Warm Springs roads, to a station in Rancho Cucamonga, California. In between the two endpoints would be other passenger stations in California, including Hesperia and the Victor Valley, with a planned maintenance facility just outside of Las Vegas in Sloan.

“I’m pleased to see Brightline’s continued development with the finalization of the Federal Railroad Administration grant,” Gov. Joe Lombardo said in a statement. “Brightline West represents a historic public-private partnership opportunity, and the State of Nevada looks forward to its ongoing progress.”

Brightline expects the project will create over 35,000 jobs, 10,000 of those union construction jobs, and 1,000 permanent jobs, once the rail line is operating.

“This project will stimulate economic growth and create jobs, providing lasting benefits for both our state and the region,” Nevada DOT Director, Tracy Larkin Thomason, said in a statement.

Brightline previously signed labor agreements with the California and Southern Nevada Building Trades to build the project and with the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition to operate and maintain the system.

Plans are for the high-speed rail system to be built and operating before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The trip between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga is expected to take about two hours.

The trains will have a variety of seating options, including party cars, which feature on-board bars and upscale seats. Premium food and beverages options and Wi-Fi will be available on the trains and at Brightline stations.

The trains will mainly operate in the median of I-15, with a portion of line planned to operate on the east side of the interstate in Nevada into Las Vegas.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.