Brightline West Breaks Ground 

April 22, 2024 - Brightline West has broken ground on the first high-speed passenger rail system, which will connect Las Vegas with Southern California—getting travelers to their destination in nearly half the time it would take them to drive. Federal, state, and local officials came to the spike-hammering ceremony at the location of the Las Vegas station, tapping symbolic bright yellow spikes to officially start the work.

America’s first true high-speed rail for passengers is a landmark project both for travel congestion along the I-15 and for the environment: The trains will be fully electric, zero emission, and capable of traveling at speeds of 200 miles per hour along the 218-mile system. This travel option will reduce greenhouse gasses by over 400,000 tons of CO2 annually, reducing vehicle miles by more than 700 million each year—the equivalent of 16,000 short-haul flights.

Brightline West will create a new industry and supply chain with the construction. Both publicly- and privately funded, the $12 billion infrastructure investment will create over $10 billion in economic impact for Nevada and California and will generate more than 35,000 jobs. The rail will be constructed and operated by union labor using 100% American steel rail and will be fully Buy America compliant.

For more information, visit www.brightlinewest.com.