Once completed, the company will operate 348 miles of all-electric rail service between Sin City and the Los Angeles area at speeds of up to 200 mph.
High-speed rail company Brightline has begun field studies in Southern California in preparation for a rail corridor linking the state to Las Vegas.
The Brightline West project will begin work along I-15 from Jan. 23 to 26, the company announced Tuesday. This is the next step in a field study that began in Nevada earlier this month.
Brightline West said in a statement: “The site survey will allow us to move forward with the final design stages in preparation for construction to begin.”
Once completed, the company will operate 348 miles of all-electric rail service between Sin City and the Los Angeles area at speeds of up to 200 mph. The project is expected to take approximately four years.
These initial site investigations include geotechnical drilling and sampling, utility potholes, and land surveys. The work will take place for a few hours at night “to minimize traffic disruption”, but most of the work will be done during the day.
Construction will take place in the following corridors.
I-15 Primm to Nipton Road
I-15 Mountain Pass to Mineola Road
I-15 Yermo to I-15/Highway 58
The high-speed rail project is part of a major investment by the Department of Transportation (DOT), which is pledging $8.2 billion in funding for several major rail projects across the United States. Beyond the West Coast, DOT is funding new high-speed service between Dallas and Houston, a new route between Fort Collins and Pueblo, Colorado, and more.
Meanwhile, Brightline continues to expand its presence in Florida, opening a new route between Miami and Orlando late last year. Brightline first launched service between West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami in 2018 and has since expanded to add service to Aventura, Boca Raton and its newest stations in Orlando.
The company offers multi-purpose passes such as the All-Station Shared Pass, which includes access to all Brightline stations, starting at $1,199, and the SoFlo Solo Pass, which includes 40 rides to South Florida stations starting at just $399. It offers.