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Virgin Trains USA, formerly known as Brightline, already operates a bullet train in Florida. Its California-Nevada project is expected to span 185 miles and take 90 minutes to move passengers between Las Vegas and Victorville, California, northeast of Los Angeles.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021 | 6:45 p.m.
A holding company for Brightline West, a company planning to build a high-speed electric line from Las Vegas to Southern California, has bought 110 acres of land near the Strip to build a terminus.
The land, which sits on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard between Warm Springs Road to the north and Blue Diamond Road to the south, was bought by Clark County for $ 140 million, according to records.
“The Tuesday announcement marks another major milestone for the project and is tangible evidence of our commitment and progress,” said Michael Reininger, CEO of Brightline Holdings, in a statement. “The location and quality of the location meet our requirements for the flagship project for new high-speed trains in the country.”
The $ 5 billion rail system would have the capacity to carry about 11 million passengers annually, company officials said. The trains would carry up to 500 passengers and move at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.
The terminal would consist of a 65,000 square meter building and include “sufficient parking spaces” for train customers, the company said.
Brightline officials praised the location’s proximity to the Strip, McCarran International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, and other Las Vegas attractions and infrastructure hubs.
“The location gives us the size and optimal properties to fully realize our vision, which is anchored by the most convenient link between two of the most important markets in the West,” said Sarah Watterson, President and Chief Development Officer of Brightline West. “Building on our experience in Florida, we will now bring creativity, innovation and environmental awareness to this new gateway to Las Vegas.”
Brightline has built a high-speed rail line that runs alongside stops in South Florida and has an additional line under construction to Orlando.
The groundbreaking for the Vegas-California route was due last year, but California officials pulled the plug on a proposed $ 600 million bond allotment that would raise up to $ 2.4 billion for the project .
The officials there named “economic uncertainty” as the reason for the cancellation of the sale of the bonds.
A similar $ 200 million bond sale was approved by the Nevada State Board of Finance last year, despite the condition that the bonds had to be sold before the end of 2020, which did not happen.
Brightline is not expected to seek bond funding this year, according to an official with the Nevada Department of Business and Industry.
The first leg of the Brightline West route would be from Las Vegas to Victorville, California, according to the company. This trip would take about 90 minutes.
The Vegas-Victorville route would cost around $ 2 billion, Brightline said.
Another $ 3 billion could then be used for an extension from Victorville to Los Angeles Union Station.
If it did become a reality, the train would go a long way in reducing traffic congestion between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, which is often worst on long holiday weekends like the recent July 4th holidays.
