Angelenos have been (im)patiently waiting, and now dreams of a high-speed trip to Las Vegas and back seem to be back on track.
USA Today reports that Brightline, the company behind the 170-mile Vegas-to-Victorville route, is expecting to break ground in the second quarter of this year, though no definitive date has been announced. Originally anticipated to start construction last year, the company recently revealed in a letter to the Nevada High-Speed Rail Authority that 2020 created unforeseen challenges for the project—and the world.
Election uncertainty, the lack of approval of a COVID-19 vaccine and lack of liquidity in the market were berries noted in the letter, per USA Today. With significant progress made in those area, Brightline appears ready to shovel dirt.
Once completed, the Brightline train would travel at a top speed of 200 mph, making the 260 mile trip between Vegas and L.A. in about three hours.
The report also notes that Amtrak is also thinking of L.A.-Vegas routes, as a part of President Biden’s proposed $2 trillion American Jobs Plan. If approved by Congress, the plan would provide $80 billion to Amtrak to cover repairs, modernize existing rails and connect new city routes.