The high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas broke ground on Monday.
Brightline West plans to lay 218 miles of new track connecting Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga.
The big picture: The $12 billion project will reduce travel time from over three hours by car to just over two hours by rail.
- The majority of the track will be built in the median of Interstate 15, with a station stop in the Victorville area.
- The project is expected to have 11 million one-way passengers per year, with fares below airline travel costs and amenities such as restrooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales, and luggage check.
What we’re watching: Brightline Holdings plans to link other US cities that are too close to fly between and too far to drive, with the project scheduled to be completed by the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Go deeper: The project received $6.5 billion in backing from the Biden administration and is expected to create job opportunities in Southern California.
- Brightline Holdings already operates a high-speed rail line in Florida and offers 16 round-trip journeys per day with speeds up to 125 mph.
- Other high-speed passenger train projects in the US, such as Dallas to Houston, Atlanta to Charlotte, and Chicago to St. Louis, have faced delays.
