Groundbreaking Ceremony for High-Speed Rail Connection between Las Vegas and Southern California with Political Leaders

The long-awaited high-speed rail connection between southern Nevada and southern California is finally becoming a reality as government officials gather for a groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Sen. Jacky Rosen, California Rep. Pete Aguilar, and others will be in attendance to mark the beginning of construction on the 218-mile connection.

The project, which is expected to take four years to complete, is aimed at opening in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The new rail line, operated by Brightline, will offer a two-hour trip between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, cutting travel time in half compared to driving.

Funding for the project includes $2.5 billion in private activity bonds, a $3 billion grant for the Nevada Department of Transportation, a $1 billion private activity bond, and a $25 million grant to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. Brightline has touted the system as the “greenest form of transportation in the world.”

The high-speed rail connection has been a decades-old plan with numerous attempts to bring it to fruition. Brightline’s founder and chairman, Wes Edens, sees the Las Vegas to Southern California route as a model for future high-speed rail projects across the country.

“Today is long overdue,” said Edens. “But the blueprint we’ve created with Brightline will allow us to repeat this model in other city pairs around the country.” The groundbreaking ceremony marks a significant step forward in improving transportation between two major hubs in the western United States.