Construction begins on high-speed train between Southern California and Las Vegas (2024)

Construction is underway on a $12 billion high-speed train between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, an inter-state project local officials say will be boon to the Southern California economy as service rolls out in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Under a white tent just south of the Las Vegas Strip, officials from California and Nevada gathered Monday, April 22, to drive the first nail for the fully electric rail system that will be operated by Brightline West, whose sister companyalready operates a fast trainbetween Miami and Orlando in Florida.

Joined by some 600 officials at the ceremony Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Brightline’s arrival in the West signals a U.S. investment in infrastructure that has been missing for too long.

“A few weeks ago a journalist asked me why can’t we have high-speed rail,” Buttigieg told the crowd. “We can if we choose to and now America has decided to.”

In a news release, Buttigieg predicted the Biden administration-backed project will bring “thousands of union jobs, new connections to better economic opportunity, less congestion on the roads, and less pollution in the air.”

The Brightline system, which will stretch 218 miles along the 15 Freeway between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, isexpected to take 3 million cars off the freeway and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 tons annually, developers say.

In San Bernardino County, where three of Brightline’s four train stations will be located, the project “is transformational .. and continues to show our progressive nature,” said county Supervisor Curt Hagman, who traveled to Nevada for Monday’s ceremony. “It is where opportunities are happening.”

In addition to the Vegas station, Brightline will have stops in Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga, where it will connect to the existing Metrolink platforms and Omnitrans bus loop.

During construction in California, officials say, the project is expected to support more than 11,000 jobs a year and bring $5 billion in spending to San Bernardino County and $300 million to Rancho Cucamonga.

For Rancho Cucamonga City Manager John Gillison, Monday’s celebration was a “surreal” moment.

“It is hard to think about working on something for so many years and seeing it come together,” he added.

“It will truly be a one-stop transit facility unlike any other in the nation,” Gillison said. “It is a great example of public-private partnerships.”

Las Vegas is a popular driving destination for Southern Californians. Officials hope the train line will relieve congestion on the 15 Freeway, where drivers often sit in miles of crawling traffic while returning home from a Las Vegas weekend.

The project outline says electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours. The trains will offer rest rooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage.

“We are pretty excited to have a direct connection to Las Vegas,” said Ryan Hutchison, a Rancho Cucamonga City Council member.

The hope is to connect the high-speed rail to the city’s planned downtown area, connecting more people to Rancho Cucamonga than ever before, Hutchison said. Rancho Cucamonga officials expect the station in their city to see more than 11 million passengers a year.

The Rancho Cucamonga station is connected to Omnitrans and LA Metro, and a shuttle service to Ontario International Airport.

“Omnitrans is thrilled to be the connecting bus service to the Brightline West service at Cucamonga Station,” said Erin Rogers, CEO of Omnitrans. “We are that first and last mile connection.”

Brightline CEO Mike Reininger has said the goal is to have trains operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

Local and regional transportation officials on Monday hailed the project as a vital passenger rail link between Sin City and the City of Angels.

“The Brightline Las Vegas to LA project is what we should expect from rail travel in the U.S. — union-built, high-speed, convenient, and with great customer service. Today is an important day for changing how we travel in this country,” said Eli Lipmen, executive director of MoveLA, a nonprofit promoting mass transit in Southern California.

In a statement, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said the agency is “excited and enthusiastic” about the expansion of transportation options.

“This high-speed rail service will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce congestion on major freeways, and bolster the economic vitality of Southern California,” Wiggins said. “Metro looks forward to working with Metrolink and San Bernardino County to develop a seamless integration of Brightline West into our robust regional transit system.”

Brightline received $6.5 billion inbacking from the Biden administration, including a$3 billion grantfrom federal infrastructure funds andapproval to sellanother $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds.

Brightline Holdings founder and Chairperson Wes Edens dubbed Monday’s events “the foundation for a new industry.”

“This is a historic project and a proud moment,” Edens said in a statement. “Today is long overdue.”

Staff writer Steve Scauzillo and the Associated Press contributed to this report.