According to a senator, the $12 billion Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail project, which intends to be finished before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is getting $3 billion from the U.S. Transportation Department.
At least 186 miles per hour are anticipated along the 218-mile “Brightline West” project, translating into a projected travel time of two hours and ten minutes. The $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure law project will be formally announced on Friday. The announcement of $8.2 billion in rail awards is scheduled for this Friday by the White House.
The Federal Railroad Administration stated in a document that the project “will provide a competitive transportation mode compared to travelling by automobile on Interstate 15”.
Separately, Senator Thom Tillis announced on Tuesday that a $1 billion grant would be given to a new passenger rail route to improve the connection between North Carolina and Washington. The route will run between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia.
As part of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill approved by Congress in 2021, $66 billion was set aside for the nation’s rail system, of which $22 billion went to Amtrak, and $36 billion went towards competitive grants.