Latest news with #BrightlineWest
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Trump, Newsom tangle on newest battlefront: California's high-speed train
California's long-delayed high-speed rail project has become the latest victim in the ongoing battle between President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom, as White House officials again seek to cancel billions in federal funding. The state-backed high speed rail project aims to link San Francisco and Los Angeles with a 200 mph train that will eventually run 800 miles around California. But the project's price tag has ballooned over the years from $33 billion to $135 billion, according to federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. In a July 16 social media post, Trump called the project a "boondoggle" that should have never been started in the first place. The pending federal contribution is $4 billion. "The railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will," Trump said. "This project was severely overpriced, overregulated, and never delivered." Duffy added his own social media critique of the price: "We could give every single LA & SF resident almost 200 free flights for that much. That's why today we're pulling the plug on federal funding for this train to nowhere." Trump has long been hostile to the project, and in his first presidency he similarly halted its federal funding. California forged ahead regardless, and President Joe Biden restored the money when he took office. Biden had long been a champion of better passenger rail service. California has been planning the project for decades, and in 2008 voters approved initial funding for the service. New rail projects in the United States typically take decades to develop as managers first plot a route and acquire the necessary rights-of-way to lay track, then design and build other necessary infrastructure, from bridges to stations. About 119 miles of the rail project are being built now, primarily through the less-populated Central Valley region. Rail boosters hope to see the California line eventually link up with the under-construction Brightline West high-speed train from Los Angeles suburbs to Las Vegas. The project has already spent more than $13 billion in planning, design and initial construction, according to its 2025 update, and is considering public-private partnerships to help close any funding gaps due to additional cost increases or federal budget cuts. Newsom, a Democrat who has increasingly tangled with Trump over issues from immigration to wildfire, said the state would fight the funding reversal. In response to Duffy's post, Newsom referenced the recent spate of commercial air travel crashes: "Won't be taking advice from the guy who can't keep planes in the sky." California High-Speed Rail Authority officials argue the project has followed all federal funding rules, including a 2024 review by the Biden-era Federal Railroad Authority. "There have been no meaningful changes in the past eight months that justify FRA's dramatic about-face," said CEO Ian Choudri in a June 12 letter to federal officials. "Instead, the FRA has looked at essentially the same facts it considered in the fall of 2024 and simply reached a different conclusion."
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
AmeriStarRail pitches coast-to-coast high-speed rail project, with High Desert stops
Move over Brightline West, transportation company AmeriStarRail has pitched a Los Angeles to New York high-speed rail project, which would travel through the High Desert. The Delaware-based company proposed its high-speed rail project dubbed the 'Transcontinental Chief' to the longtime passenger rail company Amtrak, according to Newsweek. AmeriStarRail inked its proposal in June to Amtrak President Roger Harris about the possible joint venture connecting both coasts in under 72 hours. The project would include dozens of stops, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Victorville, Barstow, the Grand Canyon, Kansas City, Chicago and New York. The AmeriStarRail system would use existing infrastructure from host railroads, including BNSF, Norfolk Southern and New Jersey Transit, Newsweek reported. Many variables Victorville Mayor Elizabeth Becerra told the Daily Press on Wednesday that there are 'a lot of variables' to work through before the proposed project sees approval. 'It sounds like a great idea, but they'll have to deal with things like train schedules, permission to use BNSF tracks, funding, construction of a new station and a mountain of regulations,' Becerra. 'If they plan to bring the project through Victorville, I hope they let us sit down at the discussion table.' The current Amtrak schedule shows a train passing through the High Desert twice a day. Operational by 2026? AmeriStarRail explained that the goal of the project includes having trains operational by May 10, 2026, in time for the FIFA World Cup and the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations, according to Newsweek. The rail system would use existing TTX flatcars and auto carriers, along with Amtrak locomotives and passenger cars. It would also be on a route that is mostly double track, according to Trains Magazine. 'The Transcontinental Chief will be a great opportunity for Amtrak to team up with the private sector to confront the challenges of its money-losing long-distance trains and create opportunities to usher in a profitable Golden Age of rail travel for passengers and truckers, with the ingenuity of free enterprise, as we celebrate our great nation's 250th birthday next year,' the AmeriStarRail letter stated. Amtrak has yet to respond to AmeriStarRail and has not acted on previous pitches made by the company, Newsweek reported. The proposed route would replace Amtrak's Southwest Chief Line, which runs from Los Angeles to Chicago. Additionally, the Pennsylvanian Line on the East Coast. Brightline West One high-speed rail project in California includes Brightline West's 218-mile rail line between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, with stops in Apple Valley and Hesperia. The Brightline West track will primarily run along the Interstate 15 median. Trains capable of reaching 186 mph or more will cut the trip between Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga to two hours – half the time to travel by car, the company said. Brightline West's $12 billion high-speed rail project will be a fully electric, zero-emission system to become one of the greenest forms of transportation in the U.S. Field testing has continued after Brightline West hosted a groundbreaking for its high-speed rail system in Las Vegas in April 2024. In February 2025, Nevada Department of Transportation officials were told by Brightline officials that construction of the rail project would begin within the next two months. California High-Speed Rail Authority Earlier this year, President Donald Trump said the government would not fund the California High-Speed Rail Authority's project that would connect Los Angeles to San Francisco. Nearly17 years after California voters initially approved a bond to help fund its construction, the project's main focus is now a Merced to Bakersfield railway with an expected operational date between 2030 and 2033, the Fresno Bee reported. Railway News reported that while the California High-Speed Rail project has faced delays, cost overruns, and political scrutiny, the San Francisco Bay Area continues to ready itself to become a vital terminus. Despite the controversy surrounding the project, regional leaders are steadily preparing infrastructure for its arrival. During the American Public Transportation Association's High-Speed Rail Seminar, Andrew Fremier, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, asserted that the agency remains fully committed to bringing the California High-Speed Rail project to San Francisco and believes that it can be feasibly brought forward in increments. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@ Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Brightline West continues field work in High Desert for its high-speed rail project
Brightline West officials announced updates to field investigation work for its planned $12 billion Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail project. Field work will begin this week within the rail corridor along the Interstate 15 right-of-way on the California side of the project. The announcement came over a year after Brightline West hosted a groundbreaking for its high-speed rail system in Las Vegas in April 2024. Since then, the company has conducted a number of field investigations along the route, which have included geotechnical borings and samplings, utility potholing and land surveying. Brightline West's 218-mile high-speed rail system will be constructed in the middle of Interstate 15, with a flagship passenger station in Las Vegas and stops in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga. Field investigation work will take place primarily during daytime hours with some work at night to minimize disruption to traffic. In some instances, short-term closures of freeway shoulders will be required. Barstow tourism summit sparks buzz: Is Inland Empire the next big travel destination? All work will be done in compliance with applicable environmental regulations and coordination with Caltrans. Motorists should proceed with caution through work zones and adhere to posted detour signs, speed limits and other signage, company officials stated. Dates and times are subject to change. These operations are weather-dependent. Field investigation locations include: Nipton Road and I-15: Geotechnical boring will be performed at night on the southbound interior shoulder of the I-15 freeway at Nipton Road. The work will be performed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 19. The I-15 southbound lane No. 1 will be closed during this work. Mojave River and I-15: Geotechnical boring will be performed adjacent to the exterior shoulders of the I-15 freeway, in the Mojave River drainage area from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20. Halloran Summit Road and I-15: Pavement coring will be performed at night on the northbound interior shoulder of the I-15 freeway, 3 miles north of Halloran Summit Road from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday, June 20. Yates Wells Road and I-15: Potholing will be performed in the center median of the I-15, at the interchanges between Yates Wells Road and Alvord Mountain Road between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Wednesday, June 18 through Friday, June 20. Glen Helen Parkway and I-15: Infiltration tests will be performed at night on the southbound off-ramp gore area of the I-15 freeway at Glen Helen Parkway from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Thursday, June 19. Devore and Barstow: Infiltration tests will be performed on the shoulders and gore areas of the I-15 freeway in Devore and Barstow from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20. In February, Nevada Department of Transportation officials were told by Brightline that construction of the project would begin within the next two months. During that time, Nevada Department of Transportation Senior Project Manager Eric Scheetz explained that before construction, his agency must have proof that Brightline West has financing established for the $12 billion project. Scheetz added that when work begins, it will launch about three years of heavy civil construction that will include bridges, freeway overpass crossings, train stations and other infrastructure. Once that is completed, train rails will be installed, with construction expected to take four years before the project is ready to take on passengers, Scheetz said. With a top speed of up to 200 miles per hour, the high-speed trains will take passengers from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in about two hours, company officials stated. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at The Daily Press, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@ Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Brightline West continues I-15 field investigation work in High Desert
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
High-speed rail project that links with Brightline West to Vegas making progress
The High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency has selected HDR for design and engineering services for a segment of California's high-speed rail system between Victorville and Palmdale. The California train line between the Victor Valley and Antelope Valley will span about 54 miles and will connect with Brightline West's planned high-speed rail project and station in the Victor Valley. The Brightline West project includes 218 miles of track, with a main passenger station in Las Vegas and stops in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga. In July 2024, High Desert representatives, including Victorville Mayor Elizabeth Becerra, a member of the joint agency, gave their support to the project, the Daily Press reported. Becerra, along with her fellow board members, signed "landmark agreements" with union labor representatives to construct, operate, and maintain the future multimillion-dollar High Desert Corridor High-Speed Rail Project. Barstow tourism summit sparks buzz: Is Inland Empire the next big travel destination? The east-west High Desert rail corridor will improve connectivity with California's planned high-speed rail network and open access to housing, jobs and cultural opportunities previously out of reach, HDR officials stated. With proposed speeds of up to 180 miles per hour, the High Desert rail service project will provide a fast connection from a multimodal transportation hub in Los Angeles County's Antelope Valley to the future Brightline West high-speed rail station in San Bernardino County, HDR said. Eventually, the rail network will connect Southern California to the northern half of the state, Las Vegas and beyond. 'The High Desert Corridor will improve connectivity and accessibility for millions of travelers, generate billions in economic activity, and open new opportunities for the whole region,' said HDR Project Manager Girair Kotchian. 'It's a privilege to be involved with such a momentous project for Southern California.' Under a five-year contract, the HDR-led team will provide a wide range of engineering services for the authority, including rail design, systems and station integration, operations and maintenance facility design, systems planning, bridge design, right of way coordination, environmental support services, stakeholder coordination, risk management, procurement support, and contract administration, among others. 'Delivering the engineering and advisory services associated with the High Desert Corridor requires a multidisciplinary team that can maximize a broad array of opportunities and tackle diverse challenges with resilience, technical expertise and unwavering focus,' said HDR Global Transit Director Matt Tucker. 'We have an exceptional team gathered with world-class expertise in large-scale transit corridors. This is great news for Southern California and the future of high-speed rail in the United States.' The Antelope Valley to Victor Valley project is completing environmental documentation and preliminary engineering. Construction of the project is expected in the early 2030s, HDR stated. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@ Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Victor Valley to Palmdale high-speed rail project hires HDR for design
Newsweek
20-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
High-Speed Rail Developers Issue Las Vegas-SoCal Update
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The construction team for Brightline West, a proposed new high-speed rail line linking Las Vegas, Nevada, to Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California, says that it is "getting close" to the construction phase of the project. Newsweek reached out to Brightline West for comment on Friday via email outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters The United States doesn't have any operational high-speed rail lines, defined by the International Union of Railways as operating at a minimum of 155 miles per hour along specially built tracks, in contrast to other advanced nations such as China, which has nearly 30,000 miles of track in operation. The race is currently underway between California High-Speed Rail, which is under construction between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Brightline West to see which can be the first to open a U.S. line. What To Know Brightline West told Fox 5 Las Vegas that it has now completed 99 percent of the field evaluations for the project, which will help finalize the design. The company has been collecting soil samples along the proposed route since last year, which are being evaluated to determine the grading and what support is needed for the track, stations, and other facilities. The company told the news station that it is "getting close" to the main construction stage, more than one year after it held a groundbreaking ceremony in 2024. A spike is displayed before a groundbreaking ceremony for a new high-speed rail at the Brightline West Las Vegas station on April 22, 2024. A spike is displayed before a groundbreaking ceremony for a new high-speed rail at the Brightline West Las Vegas station on April 22, West trains are planned to travel at up to 200 miles per hour, meaning the journey from Las Vegas to Southern California could be reduced to around two hours. The company originally planned to open the line in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but this date has since been pushed back. In September 2022, Brightline launched a new railway line in Florida linking Miami and Orlando. This was the first privately operated rail line to open in the U.S. in a century, though it travels at just below the high-speed categorization. What People Are Saying Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told Newsweek: "If you look at the Brightline project in Florida between Miami and Orlando, now it's not high-speed rail, but it is wildly popular. They're putting more and more trains on that track every day because people like the idea that they don't have to get on the I-95. "If you build it, they will come, if you build it, it will be successful and I think that will be the case with Brightline West, Las Vegas to LA, and I think it will be true San Francisco to LA. I think they will be wildly popular. I really believe at this point if you build it, they will come and the proof of that is Europe and Asia. Their trains are wildly popular." Then Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pictured at the ground breaking ceremony for Brightline West Las Vegas station on April 22, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Then Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pictured at the ground breaking ceremony for Brightline West Las Vegas station on April 22, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/GETTY What Happens Next Work on Brightline West is expected to intensify in the coming months, while a separate proposal, called the High-Speed Desert Corridor, aims to link it to California High-Speed Rail via a third rail line. It remains to be seen whether Brightline West or California High-Speed Rail can build the first operational high-speed rail line in the U.S.
