Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad, is progressing in its effort to extend service north to Orlando International Airport (OIA) and beyond. There is also an opportunity for Brightline to capture an entirely new ridership base, if the railroad is willing to add a specific new line of service.
Brightline West, the planned private-sector high-performance passenger railroad, is moving toward its goals of bringing passengers to Las Vegas and giving them a way to get there from Los Angeles. The railroad announced that plans are now set to bring its trains into Rancho Cucamonga, a community on Metrolink’s San Bernardino line, for a connection to Los Angeles Union Station.
The planned $8 billion Brightline West high speed rail line is another step closer to connecting Las Vegas with Southern California.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and the city of Palmdale have entered into an agreement to supply matching funds for a $1.35 million RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation that, if awarded, would support completion of the city’s Station Implementation Master Plan.
Brightline Holdings has bought 110 acres of land at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard for a Brightline West terminal, part of its planned $8.4 billion high speed rail project connecting Las Vegas and Southern California.
Brightline West has decided not to seek state-based private activity bonds in 2021 to help finance construction of its high speed rail project connecting Las Vegas and Southern California.
The long-simmering controversy over high-speed rail (HSR) continued during a May 6 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Its theme: “When Unlimited Potential Meets Limited Resources: The Benefits and Challenges of High-Speed Rail and Emerging Rail Technologies.”
Brightline West hopes to begin construction of its $8.4 billion, 168-mile California–Las Vegas high speed line in the second quarter of 2021.
