‘Transformative’ California-Las Vegas high-speed rail project applauded by IE officials

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: SoCal one step closer to high-speed rail

A two-hour trip from the Inland Empire to Las Vegas could soon be a reality after the high-speed rail project got a $3 billion grant. Rachel Uranga with the Los Angeles Times breaks down what's next for the project.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. - The highly-anticipated Brightline West bullet train that will take travelers from Southern California to Las Vegas in under three hours is being hailed as a "game-changer for the Inland Empire."

City officials applauded the federal government awarding the private company a $3 billion grant in funding - a critical step officials said will help push the project to the start of construction, which could begin by early 2024.

During a press conference earlier this week, city officials noted the impact the Brightline West project would have on the region, with construction alone supporting more than 11,000 jobs each year and bringing in $5 billion in spending to San Bernardino County, with $300 million of that going to Rancho Cucamonga.

"We are thrilled to witness the realization of this transformative project that connects our dynamic regions," said Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael. "This strategic investment in cutting-edge infrastructure not only opens doors to jobs, economic growth, tourism, and commercial ventures but also enhances Southern California’s global connectivity."

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Officials said plans are also underway to redevelop the Cucamonga Station as "a state-of-the-art multimodal transportation center" aiming to serve as many as 11 million passengers per year by using the high-speed rail service.

"The arrival of Brightline West and the new Cucamonga Station underscore how the Inland Empire and western San Bernardino County have become a transportation hub and economic driver for Southern California and beyond," said Atif Elkadi, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority.

Brightline West aims to start construction in the upcoming year, with the goal of having trains between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga running by summer 2028, just in time for the Olympics.

Photo courtesy Brightline West

According to Brightline, the expected travel time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is approximately 2.5 hours. The zero-emission electric trains could carry 500 passengers at speeds of nearly 200 mph.

Approximately 50 million one-way trips are made annually between these two destinations with 85% of them by car or bus, the company said. At full operations, Brightline expects to attract approximately 12 million one-way trips each year.

Amenities for travelers include free onboard WiFi, ADA accessibility from station to train, a wide selection of food and drinks, checked luggage, and hotel check-in services.

Construction was originally set to begin in 2020, but was halted when the company postponed a planned $2.4 billion bond sale to finance initial tracks and stations for the $8 billion project. The company blamed the delay on market instability because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Other places where high-speed trains have been proposed include the 500-mile system linking Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Rancho Cucamonga station will connect to Metrolink’s regional rail network, which includes stations in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura counties.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.