Gulf Construction Online - Brightline West breaks ground on US high-speed rail project

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Brightline West breaks ground on US high-speed rail project

30-04-2024

Brightline West has officially broken ground on the nation's first true high-speed rail system which will connect Las Vegas to Southern California.

The 218-mile system will be constructed in the middle of the I-15 and is based on Brightline’s vision to connect city pairs that are too short to fly and too far to drive.

Hailed as the greenest form of transportation in the world, Brightline West will run zero emission, fully electric trains capable of speeds of 200 miles per hour.

The project was recently awarded $3 billion in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. The rest of the project will be privately funded and has received a total allocation of $3.5 billion in private activity bonds from USDOT.

Brightline West is a watershed project for high-speed rail in America and will establish the foundation for the creation of a new industry and supply chain, said experts.

The groundbreaking included remarks from US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Brightline Founder Wes Edens, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Sen. Jacky Rosen, Senior Advisor to President Biden Steve Benjamin and Vince Saavedra of the Southern Nevada Building Trades.

In addition, Nevada Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steve Horsford and California Reps. Pete Aguilar and Norma Torres made remarks and joined the celebration.

More than 600 people, including union representatives, project supporters and other state and local officials from California and Nevada, attended the event.

Brightline West's rail system will span 218 miles and reach speeds of 200 mph. The route, which has full environmental clearance, will run within the median of the I-15 highway with zero grade crossings.

The system will have stops in Las Vegas, Nev., as well as Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

The privately led infrastructure project is one of the largest in the nation and will be constructed and operated by union labor. It will use 700,000 concrete rail ties, 2.2 million tons of ballast, and 63,000 tons of 100% American steel rail during construction.

Upon completion, it will include 322 miles of overhead lines to power the trains and will include 3.4 million square feet of retaining walls, said industry experts.

The project covers more than 160 structures including viaducts and bridges. Brightline West will be fully Buy America Compliant, they added.-TradeArabia News Service