High-speed train from Vegas to California gains bipartisan support

a bipartisan parliamentary group from Nevada and California He called on the Biden administration on Monday to expedite federal funding for private companies to build a high-speed rail link between Las Vegas and the United States. Los Angeles area.

All six congressmen elected from Nevada and four congressmen from California said in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation: Pete Buttigieg They embarked on a proposal from private firm Brightline West to spend more than $10 billion to lay railroad tracks for the trains that typically rush passengers along the congested Interstate 15. There is

“This project is a major priority because it makes southern Nevada more accessible to millions of tourists each year,” said Nevada Democratic Senator Jackie Rosen, who leads the group. By participating in casinos, small businesses, conventions, sports competitions, and world-class special events, you can revitalize the economy and create higher paying jobs. ”

Brightline West is seeking $3.75 billion in federal funding from federal infrastructure legislation backed by the Biden administration. The company and the Southern Nevada Building Workers Union have announced in recent weeks that they will use union workers during construction.

“After more than a decade of work to find the route, Brightline West will become America’s first true high-speed rail system, an example of how it can connect pairs of major cities that are too short and too far to fly. It works as a blueprint: to drive,” said Mike Leininger, CEO of Florida-based Brightline Holdings LLC.

The lawmaker’s letter called for 35,000 construction jobs, 1,000 full-time employees, and the company’s projections to “divert millions of car users off I-15 to faster, more efficient, zero-emission transportation.” pointing out.

Amtrak passenger service to Las Vegas ended in 1997 with the discontinuation of the train called Desert Wind. The concept of building a bullet train through the Mojave Desert dates back to at least 2005 under various names. Years have seen it start and stop, getting sidetracked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brightline is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States. In Florida, Brightline West’s sister company He began sharing the Florida East Coast Freight Line between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2014 and is building an expansion to Orlando. High-speed trains running in urban areas have been criticized for frequent collisions with vehicles at railroad crossings. Investigators determined that none of the fatalities were the railroad’s fault, and that many were either suicides or an attempt by a driver or pedestrian to hit the train.

Other locations where high-speed trains have been proposed include a 240-mile (386-kilometer) system from Dallas to Houston, Texas, and a 500-mile (805-kilometer) system connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. Completion of the California Line hinges on funding and other unknowns.

The Mojave Desert is mostly open space, and a trip to Brightline West might cut the four-hour-plus journey in half. The train, carrying 500 passengers at nearly 200 miles per hour (322 km/h), will connect Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga (city in San Bernardino County) in Victorville, California to passenger stations on the light rail line outside Los Angeles. .

Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Mast (Democrat) and four members of Congress, including Republican Mark Amodai, are seeking funding for federal-state partnerships through the Federal Railroad Administration’s intercity rail grants program. I have signed the letter of request.

California Democrats Nanette Barragan and Jimmy Gomez from the Los Angeles area, John Garamendi from the East Bay area, and Republican Jay Obernolte from the Victorville and San Bernardino County areas signed.

Traffic jams on Interstate 15 often extend 15 miles (24 km) or more near the line connecting Nevada and California. This is because drivers are returning to the Los Angeles area after a weekend or holiday trip.

“This bipartisan delegation from Nevada and California is pleased to support the federal resources needed to develop essential transportation access across this very busy corridor.” MP said.

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This article has been updated to correct that Amtrak service to Las Vegas ended in 1997 instead of 1991.