Brightline West, a high-speed rail project set to connect Las Vegas to Southern California, is set to receive $3 billion in funding from a federal grant via the Nevada Department of Transportation, Newsweek reported.
That $3 billion, awarded through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant, will cover roughly a quarter of the project’s estimated $12 billion price tag.
The line will use 10 fully electric American Pioneer 220 trains, provided by Siemens Mobility and capable of reaching speeds up to 220 miles per hour, as Brightline announced in May. That will make the route from Las Vegas to the line’s Rancho Cucamonga station a two-hour journey, about half of the current driving time.
Earlier this year, Brightline released renderings of the planned train interiors, including a “party car.”
Michael Reininger, CEO of Brightline, called the project “a historic commitment that will jumpstart the high-speed rail industry in America, creating thousands of jobs all across the country. 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,” per Newsweek.
Besides using trains made in the U.S., the construction of the line is slated to create 35,000 jobs, including 10,000 union construction positions. When it’s running, it will employ about 1,000 people. The whole project is set to be completed in 2028 ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics.
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By diverting some of the 50 million estimated people who drive or fly from Southern California to Las Vegas, Brightline West will get three million cars off the road each year, Newsweek revealed. Not only will that relieve traffic congestion on I-15, it will also prevent 400,000 tons of heat-trapping and unhealthy air pollution annually.
“With this funding, we’re closer than ever to making high-speed rail a reality — offering a fast, sustainable alternative to car travel between Las Vegas and Southern California,” said Nevada transport director Tracy Larkin Thomason, per Newsweek. “This project will stimulate economic growth and create jobs, providing lasting benefits for both our state and the region.”
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