Construction begins on high-speed train from Las Vegas to Southern California

Construction is getting 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 are gathering today, April 22, to drive the first nail for the fully electric rail system that will be operated by Brightline West, whose sister company already operates a fast train between Miami and Orlando in Florida.

The Brightline system, which will stretch 218 miles along the 15 Freeway between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, is expected 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.

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

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.”

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.

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

Brightline received $6.5 billion in backing from the Biden administration, including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and approval to sell another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.