(ConservativeJournal.org) – Nevada officials are hailing a pledge by the Biden administration to dedicate $3 billion from the federal infrastructure budget to seed the creation of a new high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
The project is anticipated to cost $12 billion and will create a 218-mile stretch along the Interstate 15 corridor to connect the two major cities. There’s been no date set as to when the work will begin, but Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) believes that trains could be running in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics which will be hosted by Los Angeles.
The company responsible for the initiative, Florida-based Brightline Holdings LLC, and its founder Wes Edens are eager to begin the work. The project has had numerous starts and stops since 2001 when it was first seriously proposed. Brightline had to acquire environmental impact assessments as well as union labor contracts to facilitate the construction, but now all the paperwork and planning are complete so work can begin properly.
The $3 billion commitment was a result of a bipartisan effort on behalf of all Nevada legislators who asked for up to $3.75 billion from the federal budget back in April.
The trains are expected to slash the 4-hour journey to under 2 hours carrying passengers at speeds close to 200 mph. The added benefit of cutting down the traffic between the two cities during weekend and holiday rushes is also highly anticipated. The new line will also create temporary jobs while it’s built and permanent ones once it begins to run.
Brightline has previously built a high-speed rail connecting Miami to Orlando which began running in 2014. Those trains run up to 125 mph.
There are numerous proposals to build high-speed railways across the country, the most popular route under consideration was set to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco, however, that project has suffered ballooning costs and numerous other setbacks.
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