Bullet train or blank?

Construction of Brightline bullet train from SoCal to Vegas set to begin

Olivia Harden

For years, California has championed high-speed rail as its future, even as its marquee project faces headwinds. While the high-speed rail connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco slowly comes to fruition, a separate rail plan in Southern California has finalized an important labor deal, and construction is set to begin this year. 

Brightline, the only private rail company in the country, is on track to connect Las Vegas to Los Angeles with a new 218-mile rail system. On Feb. 23, the company announced it had reached an agreement to work with a coalition of major labor unions. The High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition includes 13 rail unions representing more than 160,000 freight, regional, commuter and passenger railroad workers.

“As the most shovel-ready high-speed rail project in the United States, we are one step closer to leveling the playing field against transit and infrastructure projects around the world, and we are proud to be using America's most skilled workers to get there,” Mike Reininger, CEO of Brightline Holdings, said in a statement.

The $10 billion investment is set to create 35,000 jobs during construction, with more than $10 billion in economic impact. 

Brightline West will not directly expand into Los Angeles. Instead, the plan entails using the existing Metrolink system to connect downtown Los Angeles to San Bernardino. From San Bernardino, the emission-free train would stop in Victor Valley, Hesperia, Apple Valley and Rancho Cucamonga before reaching the Las Vegas Strip. There is a planned connection in Palmdale to the California High-Speed Rail.

Brightline West trains can reach speeds of up to 200 mph. The company said its trains will cut down on the over 40 million one-way trips to Las Vegas each year by car or bus. It hopes to attract 12 million of those trips annually and reduce CO2 emissions by removing 3 million vehicles and 400,000 tons of CO2 from the road. Moreover, the train is expected to relieve traffic on Interstate 15.

Earlier this year, the company also announced its plans to build three wildlife crossings to allow animals to safely cross the highway and railway. Brightline Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Ben Porritt told SFGATE that Brightline West plans to break ground later in 2023.

 

“Our construction timeline is approximately 3.5-4 years, which would have us opening by the end of 2027,” he said.