A Sneak Peek at the Upcoming High-Speed Train Linking Los Angeles and Las Vegas

On Monday, a 40-year-old dream advanced towards fruition as the private firm Brightline West drove the initial spikes into the ground for a $12 billion bullet train connecting a suburb of Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

The Brightline West railway project aims to transport passengers the 218 miles from Rancho Cucamonga to Sin City in just two hours, which is half (or a third, depending on traffic) of the current driving time. These zero-emission, fully electric trains can reach speeds of up to 200 mph and will primarily run along the center median of Interstate Highway 15 (I-15).

Brightline founder Wes Edens has stated that a round-trip ticket will be approximately $400 per person.

At a groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas on April 22, he remarked, “This is a historic project and a proud moment where we lay the foundation for a new industry. Today is long overdue.”

Edens mentioned that the current aim is to have trains operational by the time the Summer Olympics take place in Los Angeles in 2028.

Brightline West has recently been allocated $3 billion through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Additionally, the project secured $ billion in private activity bonds from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The remaining funding for the initiative—approximately $5.5 billion—will come from private sources.

During the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed his excitement about the prospects of high-speed rail in the United States.

“For decades, people have envisioned high-speed rail in America, and now... it’s finally coming to fruition,” Buttigieg shared with the audience. He continued, “We are creating a new chapter in our nation’s transportation narrative that will bring thousands of union jobs, improved access to economic opportunities, reduced road congestion, and cleaner air.”

Besides boosting economic development, the train could significantly enhance travel options to Las Vegas.

For this reason, leaders in Las Vegas were thrilled by the announcement; for many years, local politicians and tourism officials have been eager for a better link between Las Vegas and Los Angeles to alleviate the often congested drive.

“This high-speed rail system will revolutionize our region by alleviating traffic congestion on the I-15 and connecting us to our primary feeder market,” stated Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, in an interview with Dinogo.

Sean McBurney, regional president at Caesars Entertainment, which operates hotels like Caesars, Paris, Nobu Hotel, and the Cromwell, highlighted that one-third of their guests come from Southern California, emphasizing the significance of this tourism.

“As both regions expand, our transportation infrastructure must also evolve,” he explained. “Introducing high-speed rail along the I-15 corridor will create a vital round-trip transport option to alleviate traffic and enhance convenience for visitors to Las Vegas and beyond.”

Reactions among travelers were mixed. While the prospect of high-speed rail linking major Western cities offers excitement and innovation, some skeptics expressed concerns about the costs and the challenges of reaching Rancho Cucamonga from central Los Angeles to board the train.

While Rancho Cucamonga will provide a connection to downtown Los Angeles via Metrolink regional rail, it is still located 47 miles away from downtown L.A.

Perez Hilton, a well-known celebrity influencer who recently relocated to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, expressed concerns regarding the pricing and logistics of the new high-speed train.

“It’s incredibly disappointing that ticket prices will be around $400—that makes no sense to me, and it doesn’t even take you directly to Los Angeles,” Hilton remarked to Dinogo. “If you're going to charge that much, at least take you all the way to L.A. Otherwise, it's cheaper to drive, take a bus, or even fly. It shouldn't be cheaper to fly.”

Currently, the Brightline West system is anticipated to include stops in Las Vegas, Victor Valley (California), Hesperia (California), and Rancho Cucamonga.

The Las Vegas Station will be situated close to the Las Vegas Strip, occupying a 110-acre area north of Blue Diamond Road between I-15 and Las Vegas Boulevard. This location will offer access to Harry Reid International Airport, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and Allegiant Stadium, with the station itself covering approximately 80,000 square feet, along with parking facilities.

In Rancho Cucamonga, the Brightline West station will be established on a five-acre site adjacent to Ontario International Airport. It will be integrated with existing multimodal transportation options, including California Metrolink, to ensure seamless connectivity to downtown Los Angeles and other destinations within Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.

The Victor Valley station will be located in Apple Valley; both this station and the Hesperia station will be situated in the Inland Empire between Rancho Cucamonga and Barstow, providing local rail service to residents in these High Desert communities.

Upon completion, the L.A.-to-Vegas train route will mark Brightline's second significant rail project; the company's inaugural rail system in Florida links Miami to Orlando and commenced initial operations between its South Florida stations in 2018. In September 2023, Brightline's Orlando station was inaugurated at Orlando International Airport, connecting South Florida to Central Florida.