Construction begins on high-speed rail line from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
By Amy Maetzold
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LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Construction is expected to begin Monday, April 22, on a high-speed rail line connecting Southern California and Las Vegas.
The $12 billion passenger rail line, called Brightline West, will aim to lay 218 miles of new track between a station just south of Las Vegas and another terminal in Rancho Cucamonga.
The rail line will primarily run along Interstate 15 and it will be fully electric, according to Brightline. The trains will be capable of reaching speeds up to 186 or higher, making it a 2 hour trip each way. This would cut the travel time by car, which would normally take over 3 hours.
The project is expected to bolster tourism, create 35,000 jobs, ease traffic on I-15 and cut more than 400,000 tons of carbon pollution each year.
The line will include a flagship station in Las Vegas, with additional stations in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga. The Rancho Cucamonga Station will also connect to Southern California’s regional Metrolink service, allowing for connectivity into Riverside County, downtown Los Angeles and beyond.
The tentative goal is to have the line open by 2028, in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
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