Image source: Brightline West
On April 22, construction began on the United States' first truly high-speed railway, the "Brightline West," connecting the outskirts of Los Angeles with the vibrant city of Las Vegas. This railway not only promises Americans a taste of European and Asian-standard high-speed passenger trains but also serves as a business model for high-speed rail construction in other parts of the country.
The "Brightline West" is scheduled to be completed in four years—just in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. It is expected to travel at speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour along the median of Interstate 15, bypassing weekend traffic congestion.
Despite President Biden announcing a $3 billion government grant back in December 2023, the $12 billion project seems like a bold gamble for Brightline and its owner, Fortress Investment Group. However, compared to other lagging high-speed rail projects in the U.S., the success of the "Brightline West" seems promising for several reasons.
According to a report by infrastructure consulting firm AECOM, the focus of the "Brightline West" is on connecting major cities approximately 400 to 550 kilometers apart. This represents an optimal position for high-speed rail, highly competitive with cars and airplanes. Previously, the 350-kilometer urban journey from Las Vegas to the outskirts of Los Angeles took four hours; the "Brightline West" is expected to reduce this to just over two hours, making it an attractive option with an estimated annual ridership of 50 million.
Junfeng Jiao from the University of Texas at Austin says, "High-speed rail has proven to be a very efficient way to transport large numbers of passengers over medium distances. There are many successful examples in European and Asian countries that demonstrate profitability in high-speed rail operations."
Another favorable factor is that the project leases a corridor through existing Interstate 15 in Nevada and California to construct the "Brightline West," bypassing the costs and potential delays associated with acquiring rights-of-way and land.
Over time, reducing the risk of delays can also lower the overall project costs. For example, California's own high-speed rail project, approved by voters in 2008 to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles, saw its estimated costs skyrocket from $33 billion to $128 billion. Other high-speed rail projects under consideration include those in Texas and the Pacific Northwest.
Russell Jackson, Global Transportation Director at AECOM, suggests that one lesson state rail authorities across the U.S. can learn from the "Brightline West" is to "value the costs of delays and indecision" and avoid lengthy planning. While the approach of the "Brightline West" focuses only on routes most likely to be profitable, he believes government funding can fill gaps in other cases.
Jackson suggests that public funds can be used for projects that need to connect two cities too close for air travel and too far for cars.
