Archinect - News 2024-12-21T22:20:50-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150425015/brightline-west-breaks-ground-on-12-billion-vegas-to-california-high-speed-rail-project Brightline West breaks ground on $12 billion Vegas to California high-speed rail project Josh Niland 2024-04-23T17:28:00-04:00 >2024-04-24T14:32:06-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/97/9763dcf705779352a9b5f8760ec55664.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>The $12 billion high-speed rail infrastructure project that will connect <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/29854/las-vegas" target="_blank">Las Vegas</a> with various hubs in the <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/81596/southern-california" target="_blank">Southern California</a> region is off and running. <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/1403209/virgin-trains" target="_blank">Brightline West&rsquo;s 218-mile loop</a> is now under construction with a $3 billion <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150406383/u-s-department-of-transportation-awards-6-1-billion-in-funding-for-high-speed-rail-projects-in-the-american-west" target="_blank">push</a> from the Biden administration&rsquo;s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the 2028 finish line in sight to coincide with LA's turn as host of that year's <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/986992/2028-olympics" target="_blank">Summer Olympics and Paralympics</a>.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/14/147f698f0463e306e68a2874b27f0000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/14/147f698f0463e306e68a2874b27f0000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Las Vegas Station aerial view. Image courtesy Brightline West</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/51/519eac8ebd1460de22ca322288c0040b.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/51/519eac8ebd1460de22ca322288c0040b.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Las Vegas Station interior view. Image courtesy Brightline West</figcaption></figure><p>The trains will be operated at a maximal speed of 200 miles per hour, setting the North American record. (Another project between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia, will commence soon.) Wes Edens, Brightline's founder, said: &ldquo;Today is long overdue, but the blueprint we&rsquo;ve created with Brightline will allow us to repeat this model in other city pairs around the country.&rdquo;</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/b9/b920fd1719709b24a021362e59fa04eb.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/b9/b920fd1719709b24a021362e59fa04eb.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Rancho Cucamonga Station exterior view. Image courtesy Brightline West...</figcaption></figure>