Brightline, the only private intercity passenger railroad in the country, is getting a $3 billion federal grant to help build a $12 billion high-speed railway between Las Vegas and Southern California — an almost unheard of infusion of federal money for a private project that would help to put trains traveling at 186 mph on U.S. tracks by 2028.
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Brightline has land, federal reviews and labor agreements in place, and company leaders say it could be built in four years. Its prospects are good, industry leaders and transportation officials say, amid renewed attention to rail in Washington and historic levels of federal funding for a national rail network that has lagged on the global stage.
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Brightline and the Nevada Department of Transportation submitted a 4,000-page application in April for a $3.75 billion federal grant from the federal infrastructure law. Although the award is short of the request, it is still one of the biggest infusions of federal funding into a privately developed transportation project in modern U.S. history, while it gives Brightline an important boost to break ground in the coming months.
Thanks for the continuing news on the national rail infrastructure. I've heard of Brightline before but don't know much about them. Is it noteworthy that this funding went to them instead of...
Thanks for the continuing news on the national rail infrastructure. I've heard of Brightline before but don't know much about them.
Is it noteworthy that this funding went to them instead of Amtrak, especially given that this line and the planned CA high speed rail could (maybe?) reasonably connect?
It is noteworthy in the sense that no private inter-city rail service has operated in the US for decades except for Brightline, whose only operational route runs between Miami and Orlando,...
It is noteworthy in the sense that no private inter-city rail service has operated in the US for decades except for Brightline, whose only operational route runs between Miami and Orlando, Florida. That opened very recently but has apparently been a commercial success.
Transportation agencies in the region would certainly like to link the two systems. For the time being, Brightline West will terminate at a somewhat isolated station called Rancho Cucamonga instead of in Los Angeles proper, while CAHSR is intended to run through LA. They're connected through Metrolink right now, which is OK, though ideally something should be worked out to avoid that intermediary transfer. If Brightline West is profitable, I can see them digging a tunnel to LA or upgrading Metrolink tracks. CAHSR won't get to LA before 2031 or more likely 2035+.
My impression is that Amtrak views Brightline as more of a force of good than strictly as a competitor (for now), even though they sometimes have similar routes. This is because being able to attract both public and private capital to extremely quickly build a new and true high-speed rail route (there is not a single such route in the country) bolsters rail as an industry, HSR infrastructure nationwide, and by extension Amtrak's ability to entice passengers from other modes.
I wouldn’t consider Rancho Cucamonga to be isolated given there are three highways running through it - four if you include Rt. 66, though I think it’s just a street right around when it gets into...
I wouldn’t consider Rancho Cucamonga to be isolated given there are three highways running through it - four if you include Rt. 66, though I think it’s just a street right around when it gets into it. One of those highways is interstate 15, which is the route one would take to drive to Las Vegas from LA to begin with, so anyone taking that route would have likely passed through the city in any case.
I’m pretty sure the city is actually in San Bernardino county, but it’s one of the three counties that make up the Megalopolis people call LA even if it isn’t “LA proper”.
I think many forms of transportation that aren't directly competing can be made to work together. Do taxis compete with air travel? No, taxis take you to the airport. Similarly here; this line...
I think many forms of transportation that aren't directly competing can be made to work together. Do taxis compete with air travel? No, taxis take you to the airport.
Similarly here; this line could connect to other lines. Las Vegas is also a good starting point for renting a car and seeing the canyons of southern Utah, and the northern rim of the Grand Canyon. That's a trip I recommend to anyone. You could also visit Death Valley from there.
Archive link. The haters said it couldn't be done. (I mean, it still has to be built, but that's neither here nor there. $3 billion will get them from Las Vegas to Los Angeles before the 2028...
Archive link. The haters said it couldn't be done. (I mean, it still has to be built, but that's neither here nor there. $3 billion will get them from Las Vegas to Los Angeles before the 2028 Olympics. Most of the terrain is extremely flat and the construction process will not be complicated.) I believe that completion of Brightline West will invigorate Southern California's interest in linking LA with the Central Valley portion of California High-Speed Rail. In this case public interest will correspond to funding.
Rancho Cucamonga is an underwhelming terminal location considering Metrolink's abysmal service frequency and the station's considerable distance from LA's downtown. A high-speed tunnel downtown would be a nice bonus, but expensive, so I see why that's not on the table right now. It's unclear to me why Brightline cannot lease the rights to operate tracks between RC and LA Union Station. (The answer is that the line isn't electrified, but I don't see why that couldn't be part of Brightline's project.)
I will probably never take this line in my life, because I do not believe human beings are meant to dwell in the desert and am happy to never ever visit Vegas. However, for those brave souls who do venture into the land of coyotes and road runners, this HSR line will be a great boon. 3.5 hours (optimistically) down to 2 is a big deal and will capture a large portion of the automobile base, and conceivably a decent number of air travelers.
Las Vegas is actually a model city for water usage in the US! Human cities in the dessert aren't necessarily an issue as long as they're built right. There are plenty of opportunities for power...
Las Vegas is actually a model city for water usage in the US! Human cities in the dessert aren't necessarily an issue as long as they're built right. There are plenty of opportunities for power generation and resource conservation. Humans have lived in arid regions for a long time.
From the article:
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Thanks for the continuing news on the national rail infrastructure. I've heard of Brightline before but don't know much about them.
Is it noteworthy that this funding went to them instead of Amtrak, especially given that this line and the planned CA high speed rail could (maybe?) reasonably connect?
It is noteworthy in the sense that no private inter-city rail service has operated in the US for decades except for Brightline, whose only operational route runs between Miami and Orlando, Florida. That opened very recently but has apparently been a commercial success.
Transportation agencies in the region would certainly like to link the two systems. For the time being, Brightline West will terminate at a somewhat isolated station called Rancho Cucamonga instead of in Los Angeles proper, while CAHSR is intended to run through LA. They're connected through Metrolink right now, which is OK, though ideally something should be worked out to avoid that intermediary transfer. If Brightline West is profitable, I can see them digging a tunnel to LA or upgrading Metrolink tracks. CAHSR won't get to LA before 2031 or more likely 2035+.
My impression is that Amtrak views Brightline as more of a force of good than strictly as a competitor (for now), even though they sometimes have similar routes. This is because being able to attract both public and private capital to extremely quickly build a new and true high-speed rail route (there is not a single such route in the country) bolsters rail as an industry, HSR infrastructure nationwide, and by extension Amtrak's ability to entice passengers from other modes.
I wouldn’t consider Rancho Cucamonga to be isolated given there are three highways running through it - four if you include Rt. 66, though I think it’s just a street right around when it gets into it. One of those highways is interstate 15, which is the route one would take to drive to Las Vegas from LA to begin with, so anyone taking that route would have likely passed through the city in any case.
I’m pretty sure the city is actually in San Bernardino county, but it’s one of the three counties that make up the Megalopolis people call LA even if it isn’t “LA proper”.
I think many forms of transportation that aren't directly competing can be made to work together. Do taxis compete with air travel? No, taxis take you to the airport.
Similarly here; this line could connect to other lines. Las Vegas is also a good starting point for renting a car and seeing the canyons of southern Utah, and the northern rim of the Grand Canyon. That's a trip I recommend to anyone. You could also visit Death Valley from there.
Archive link. The haters said it couldn't be done. (I mean, it still has to be built, but that's neither here nor there. $3 billion will get them from Las Vegas to Los Angeles before the 2028 Olympics. Most of the terrain is extremely flat and the construction process will not be complicated.) I believe that completion of Brightline West will invigorate Southern California's interest in linking LA with the Central Valley portion of California High-Speed Rail. In this case public interest will correspond to funding.
Rancho Cucamonga is an underwhelming terminal location considering Metrolink's abysmal service frequency and the station's considerable distance from LA's downtown. A high-speed tunnel downtown would be a nice bonus, but expensive, so I see why that's not on the table right now. It's unclear to me why Brightline cannot lease the rights to operate tracks between RC and LA Union Station. (The answer is that the line isn't electrified, but I don't see why that couldn't be part of Brightline's project.)
I will probably never take this line in my life, because I do not believe human beings are meant to dwell in the desert and am happy to never ever visit Vegas. However, for those brave souls who do venture into the land of coyotes and road runners, this HSR line will be a great boon. 3.5 hours (optimistically) down to 2 is a big deal and will capture a large portion of the automobile base, and conceivably a decent number of air travelers.
Las Vegas is actually a model city for water usage in the US! Human cities in the dessert aren't necessarily an issue as long as they're built right. There are plenty of opportunities for power generation and resource conservation. Humans have lived in arid regions for a long time.
Few references: