Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Siemens Mobility will build the American Pioneer 220 high-speed trains for the nation’s first true high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area at a new factory in Horseheads, New York.
The 300,000-square-foot facility in Horseheads, near the Pennsylvania line, is expected to create about 300 jobs and is part of the $12 billion passenger bullet train project that is underway and should be operational by 2028, in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The big picture: The Brightline West project will involve constructing over 218 miles of new track along the Interstate 15 corridor connecting Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California, from where a commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles will be available.
- The goal of the high-speed rail line is for the trains to operate at speeds exceeding 186 mph, which would shorten the travel time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles from four hours by car to just over two hours, making it faster than existing high-speed lines in the U.S.
- The Siemens Mobility factory in New York is set to begin production of the new trains in 2026 and has agreed that workers at the facility will be represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Driving the news: Brightline, the company behind the high-speed rail initiative, received support from President Joe Biden’s administration, including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and approval to sell an additional $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds to finance the construction of the rail line, building on prior authorizations granted in 2020.
What they’re saying: “Bringing high-speed rail to America is no longer a dream, but a reality,” said Siemens Mobility North American CEO Marc Buncher in a statement.
- “Upstate New York is unmatched in rail car manufacturing capabilities, with a deep, proud history pioneering the rail industry and a community that is excited to get to work building America’s future,” Schumer said in a statement.
