We can’t believe this is actually happening, but the drive from Las Vegas to L.A. is about to become a bit less of a nightmare—because in a few years you won’t have to drive at all.
Brightline West has just announced that it broke ground today on a high-speed rail line set to connect the Nevada city to Southern California, which will likely be the first system of its kind in the U.S. As early as 2028, zero emission, fully electric trains capable of reaching 200 miles per hour could be whisking prospective train riders between Vegas and not-quite-in-L.A. Rancho Cucamonga (more on that in a minute).
According to an official press release, “the 218-mile system will be constructed in the middle of the I-15 and is based on Brightline’s vision to connect city pairs that are too short to fly and too far to drive.” Not included in that statement: a description of how absolutely horrible it is to take on that trip by car, between the boringly straight stretches of highway and the notorious miles-long backups by the state border.
The project, which was awarded $3 billion in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, will otherwise be privately funded. Upon completion, it will offer stops in Vegas, Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga; it will connect the latter to Vegas in abut two hours, which is nearly half the time it would take you to make the drive; and, although not technically reaching Los Angeles, it will allow riders to transfer to Metrolink from Rancho Cucamonga.
“People have been dreaming of high-speed rail in America for decades—and now, with billions of dollars of support made possible by President Biden’s historic infrastructure law, it’s finally happening,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was present for a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday on the Las Vegas end of the line. “Partnering with state leaders and Brightline West, we’re writing a new chapter in our country’s transportation story that includes thousands of union jobs, new connections to better economic opportunity, less congestion on the roads, and less pollution in the air.”
We can’t think of better news to kick off our week.
How much will the new high-speed train cost?
According to an FAQ on Brightline West’s site, ticket pricing is still to-be-determined but “can be expected to be priced on par with the cost of gas and parking.” (As of late-April averages, a round-trip drive between L.A. and Las Vegas would cost you roughly $120 in gas, plus about $20 per night in parking.) In an L.A. Times interview, the company’s CEO said he’ll eventually charge more than $400 for a round-trip, however no further specifics were given; for comparison, a one-way ticket on Brightline’s relatively new Miami-to-Orlando route costs between $49 and $154 each way, depending on the time of day.
When is construction due to be finished?
Brightline West’s goal is to be operational in 2028, in time for the Summer Olympics in L.A.