Funding has been coming in fast for California’s first high-speed train line, with news that the U.S. Department of Transportation has approved $2.5 billion in private activity bonds for the project. That comes just a month after the federal government awarded the project $3 billion. Coupled with prior public commitments and awards, the project has now received more than half of the estimated $12 billion needed for the build from the government.
“Today, the Biden-Harris administration takes the next step to fulfill the promise of high-speed rail in the American West, with $2.5 billion in private activity bond authority to lay tracks, create jobs, and connect American cities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a press release. “President Biden’s historic infrastructure package gives us the opportunity to build safe, green, and accessible rail systems that will deliver benefits to the American people for generations to come.”
Brightline, the company behind the 170-mile Las Vegas-to-Los Angeles route, previously announced a landmark labor agreement with the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition, affording for construction on the 170 miles of new rail. The $12 billion investment is expected to create some 35,000 jobs during construction and more than 1,000 permanent jobs once operational, according to Brightline.
The Brightline West system will eventually span 218 miles with the addition of a spur terminating at Rancho Cucamonga
The fully electric, emission-free system will also be one of the greenest forms of transportation in the U.S., removing 3 million cars and 400,000 tons of CO2 each year. 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.