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    Home » As Construction Begins, Doubts Arise Over the Success of High-Speed Train Project to Operate Between Vegas and L.A.
    General

    As Construction Begins, Doubts Arise Over the Success of High-Speed Train Project to Operate Between Vegas and L.A.

    DunniBy DunniJune 3, 20248 Mins Read
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    A conceptual view of the high-speed rail
    Source: NC3D/Flickr
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    A construction company saddled with a first-of-its-kind project has announced the commencement of work on a high-speed rail line to run between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. 

    The front end of Balfour Beatty track construction machine
    Source: Train Photos/Wikimedia Commons

    Towards the end of April, the private company projected that the new rail line and accompanying coaches would be ready for public use in 2028. 

    The First Pin Is in the Ground  

    Many analysts of developmental projects in the US have always looked forward to the inception of a high-speed train service. 

    A newly constructed train track
    Source: GetArchive

    Pete Buttigieg, the US Secretary for Transportation, spoke at a groundbreaking event at the site of a terminal for the train project just south of the Las Vegas Strip. He mentioned that the new train line is a response to the people’s yearning. 

    A Government-aided Private Project  

    Despite being handled by a private entity, Buttigieg mentioned during the event that the Biden administration had put its full weight behind the high-speed train project. 

    President of the United States, Joe Biden, speaks about the advances in cancer research
    Source: The White House/Wikimedia Commons

    Buttigieg also mentioned that the project is getting government support because it will not only cut the incidence of pollution and traffic but also create union jobs and boost the overall economy. 

    Brightline With the Formidable Track Record 

    Brightline West is running the high-speed train project. They have a great precedent of constructing a similar project that runs between Orlando, Florida, and Miami.  

    President Barack Obama shakes hands with an employee
    Source: Rawpixel

    The new project will involve laying a 218-mile-long train line along the same route as Interstate 15. The new line will run from Las Vegas to California’s Rancho Cucamonga. 

    Bringing the Ease of Commute to People  

    A commuter train line will link the high-speed train to downtown Los Angeles at the Rancho Cucamonga touchdown terminal of the new high-speed train. 

    Official Announcement of Platform 10 upgrades
    Source: William Murphy/Flickr

    Plans also exist to construct a train station in the Victorville area of San Bernardino County. Brightline West wants to maximize the new line’s connectivity to existing infrastructure. 

    The New Train Project Should be Ready for the 2028 Summer Olympics  

    Brightline West officials are working on a very tight project Timeline and aim to have the new high-speed train line ready for public use in 2028.

    Mayor Garcetti announcing that Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games
    Source: Eric Garcetti/Flickr

    The 2028 self-imposed deadline is symbolic because the company wants the high-speed train service to be just in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. 

    Aiming High While Putting Ambition in Check  

    Company officials also have a speed target for the new high-speed train service. Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains are the benchmark. 

    High-speed train parked on a ferry
    Source: tiexano/Flickr

    So, Brightline West is looking to provide a train service that runs at speeds over 186 mph. That feat is achievable and can be surpassed, but we hope safety regulations do not go to the dogs while gunning for that goal. 

    Adventurous Projects Make History in Retrospect    

    At the commencement ceremony of the rail line construction, the founder of Brightline Holdings, West Edens, said of the project, “I believe we’ll look back at today and say, ’This was the birth of an industry of high-speed rail.’” 

    Interior of a dollar store
    Source: 10 10/Flickr

    Brightline West’s mission statement for their rail line projects is to connect major cities in the US, particularly those that are too close to fly and too long to drive. 

    The US Government Leverages Private-Public Partnerships 

    The idea of linking Las Vegas and Los Angeles via train is not the brainchild of any private entity. Indeed, various administrations in the US government have fiddled with the possibility of bringing what they called DesertXpress to life. 

    Map of planned high-speed rail lines in California
    Source: Thadius856/Wikimedia Commons

    After a bidding process, Brightline West took on the project in 2019. The company will adopt government-approved routes and corridors for the new high-speed train. 

    Government Already Did All the Paperwork  

    So, Brightline West is lucky to have formalities like labor agreements, environmental impact assessments and approvals, and surveys staking out the right of way already sorted out by the government. 

    Brightline Train Leaving West Palm Beach Station
    Source: Phillip Pessar/Wikimedia Commons

    Brightline West officials simply liaised with public officials in the Ministry of Transportation, and before long, the project hit the ground running. 

    Cash Injections By the Government is Keeping the Project Alive 

    Being a capital-intensive project that would be naturally burdensome for any private entity, the US government has put facilities in place to give Brightline West a soft landing. 

    London Underground 1992 Stock (Central Line) at Theydon Bois
    Source: Tom Page/Wikimedia Commons

    For example, the Biden administration awarded the company a $3 billion grant from the federal infrastructure fund, which is earmarked for such projects. Recently, Brightline got approval to sell a $2.5 billion tax-exempt bond to raise more funds.  

    Still, Many Are In Doubt If the Project Would Be Completed At the Proposed Time 

    In 2020, Brightline got another green light from the government to sell another $1 billion of bonds. 

    Brightline All Aboard Florida Station
    Source: Phillip Pessar/Flickr

    This recurrent sourcing of funds from private sources is the major reason for skepticism from quarters about the financial feasibility of the high-speed train project. Critics are wondering if maintaining the 4-year time of project delivery is possible. 

    A Significant Cut to Travel Time 

    Traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, either by road or air, takes an average of four hours. 

    As a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 passes over on the final approach
    Source: Lewis Smith Photography/Flickr

     

    However, the high-speed train project seeks to cut that travel time to two hours. Traveling in electric-powered trains, Brightline West will conquer the Mojave Desert by transporting passengers through its harsh terrains in a record two-hour journey. 

    Transporting About a Million Passengers Annually 

    Judging by the population of the two cities and estimates of inter-city travel between them, Brightline West has charted a target for the number of passengers the train would service annually. 

    Crowd of people at a train station
    Source: PickPik

    Company officials project that the new train line will transport about 11 million one-way passengers annually. 

    Brightline Is Out to Compete With Airlines for This Route    

    Also, the company suggests that its ticket prices would be comparable to airline tickets. 

    Planes, trains, and automobiles
    Source: H. Micael Miley/Wikimedia Commons

    The company justified this price by claiming the high-speed train service would offer as much comfort as flying and cover the distance in a shorter time than those who travel by air. 

    Luxury Express Running On Two Lines     

    Another argument that Brightline West puts forward in favor of the proposed high prices of train tickets is the various pecks that come with the service. 

    Interior of a luxurious train cabin
    Source: Yet Another Blogger

    Company officials boast that their train rides will feature beverages and food sales, free Wi-Fi, multiple restrooms, and an option to check luggage. 

    The I-15 Will Heave a Sigh of Relief    

    If nothing, the decongestion of the I-15 would be a great merit of Brightline’s high-speed train line. A traffic survey on the I-15 revealed an average of 44,000 automobiles plying that route daily. 

    Interstate 15, Las Vegas, South of Flight Path on Departure
    Source: Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons

    So, the Las Vegas-Los Angeles train ride will save commuters plying the I-15 trouble of sitting long hours in traffic. With the fast train ride, returning to Southern California after a weekend in Vegas will become less hassle. 

    Brightline Did a Terrific Job With the Miami Line 

    Brightline Holdings opened the Miami train line to the public in 2018. Five years later, the company added an extension to the Miami line, which takes riders to the Orlando International Airport. 

    Brightline Train At Ft Lauderdale Station
    Source: Phillip Pessar/Wikimedia Commons

    The Miami line runs at an average speed of 125 mph and offers 16 round-trips of the line’s full span daily. A one-way ticket for a 235-mile ride costs roughly $80.

    High-Speed Line Popping Up Within the US   

    There are some other fast train services in the US, one of which is the Acela by Amtrak. The Acela runs between Washington DC and Boston and operates at an average speed of 150 mph. 

    Acela pair Boston South snow
    Source: SignalPAD/Wikimedia Commons

    Likewise, other high-speed train lines are in the pipeline, crisscrossing the US landscape. There is the Seattle to Portland, Oregon line, and the Dallas to Houston line. These other projects are experiencing delays for manifold reasons. 

    The Shadow of Delay Still Looms    

    A peculiar case of such delay is the San Francisco-Los Angeles rail line, which received voters’ approval in 2008. The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) proposed a 500-mile line but has hit financial roadblocks since then. 

    Prop 1A funds to upgrade Amtrak San Joaquin train service
    Source: Richard Masoner/Flickr

    Since conception, the project has been beset by right-of-way conflicts and constantly rising costs. As of 2022, a business review of the project by CAHSR revealed that the project will now cost $105 billion, three times more than the initial estimates. 

    Construction Train
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