New high-speed train from Vegas to SoCal will be a model for the nation — if it succeeds
LA TimesWhen Simon Akinwolere, a 27-year-old cruise director, needed to commute from Orlando to Miami, he sorted through his travel options. A privately run train line between Orlando and Miami called Brightline has become Akinwolere’s favorite way to shuttle between the Florida cities since the long-haul service started in September. Florida’s train, which reaches speeds up to 125 mph, is owned by Brightline, the same company behind an even more ambitious test project: Brightline West, a $12-billion, 218-mile route between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga that promises even faster travel as the first true high-speed rail line in the United States. “Our goal is that this is the train that primes the pump,” said Wes Edens, Brightline’s founder and chairman and a private equity billionaire. “Once you have proof of this one, many more will follow.” A privately run train line between Orlando and Miami called Brightline launched the long-haul service in Florida in September 2023.
History of this topic
Despite some progress, state’s high-speed rail is $100 billion short and many years from reality
LA Times
The electric rail to Las Vegas keeps rolling with new federal funding approved
LA Times
SoCal to Vegas in two hours? High-speed rail comes closer to reality with $3-billion award
LA Times
High-speed trains begin making trip between Orlando and Miami
The IndependentFirst private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed
Associated Press
Florida high speed train gets grant to improve safety
Associated PressDiscover Related
