Signed, Sealed and Delivered: $3 Billion Grant Agreement for Brightline West Project Officially Signed
Washington, D.C. (Sept. 26, 2024) – Today, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) officially signed the $3 billion grant agreement awarded to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) for Brightline West. In December 2023, President Biden announced the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant at a ceremony in Las Vegas and in April, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke at the Brightline West groundbreaking. Brightline West will be America’s first true high-speed rail project set to connect Southern California to Las Vegas, with trains traveling over 200 miles per hour.
Several federal, state, and local elected officials hailed the grant signing as a major milestone. This historic grant will provide the critical funding needed to bring to life a rail system that will significantly reduce travel time between Las Vegas and Southern California, offering a fast, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to road and air travel.
“This is a historic commitment that will jumpstart the high-speed rail industry in America, creating thousands of jobs all across the country,” said Michael Reininger, CEO of Brightline. “Brightline West will be American made and American built, and will serve as the blueprint for connecting city pairs that are too close to fly but too far to drive.”
The Brightline West rail project will create over 35,000 jobs, including more than 10,000 union construction jobs. Once operational, the project will include approximately 1,000 jobs. Brightline signed historic labor agreements with the California and Southern Nevada Building Trades to construct the project and the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition to operate and maintain the system.
The project’s environmental benefits are equally impressive: reducing traffic congestion on Interstate 15, removing three million cars from roadways, and eliminating more than 400,000 tons of emissions annually. Brightline West’s zero-emission, fully electric trains will be the greenest form of transportation in America.
The project is on pace to initiate operations in 2028. Upon completion, the high-speed rail line will offer travelers a seamless, comfortable journey between Las Vegas and Southern California, reducing travel time to two hours.
QUOTE SHEET
“I’m pleased to see Brightline’s continued development with the finalization of the Federal Railroad Administration grant. Brightline West represents a historic public-private partnership opportunity, and the State of Nevada looks forward to its ongoing progress.” - Governor Joe Lombardo (R-NV)
“USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg and I have repeatedly said Americans should not need to look abroad to see high-speed rail. Thanks to the hard work of the Biden-Harris Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic funding, we will finally experience high-speed rail on U.S. soil. FRA is proud to partner with Nevada and California state leaders and Brightline West to advance this transformative project connecting Las Vegas and Southern California, and this week's finalized grant agreement is a major step forward to deliver high-speed service that results in faster trips, fewer emissions, union jobs, and an alternative to highway and airport congestion.” - FRA Administrator Amit Bose
“The Brightline West project will bring our country’s first-ever high-speed rail to Southern Nevada, create thousands of good-paying union jobs, and better connect Las Vegas and Southern California. This project will strengthen Nevada’s economy and our tourism industry, and I couldn’t be more proud to have helped secure this funding.” - Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
“The Brightline West high-speed rail project will be historic for Nevada, bringing visitors to our state, reducing traffic and carbon emissions, and creating thousands of good-paying, local union jobs. That’s why I worked tirelessly to finally make this project a reality, and I’m proud to see that funding is coming to our state. I will always support Nevada’s tourism economy and the good-paying jobs it creates.” - Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
“For decades, high-speed rail was just a dream in southern Nevada – but now, I’m beyond proud that we finally made it a reality,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I worked across the aisle to help negotiate, craft, and ultimately pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because I knew it would kickstart transformative projects like Brightline West that will stand the test of time. Together, we’re cutting down on traffic, boosting our tourism economy, and creating thousands of good-paying union jobs.” - Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-3)
“Ever since I was appointed by Governor Bob Miller to the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission in the nineties, high-speed rail has been a dream. Now that we have broken ground and the $3 billion grant agreement has been finalized, we can achieve what we set out to do when my colleagues and I wrote the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – improve our transportation systems, reduce emissions, create good-paying union jobs, and make high-speed rail a reality in the United States. It will better connect Southern Nevada and Southern California in an environmentally sustainable way.” - Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-1)
"The Brightline West high-speed rail project is a game-changer for Nevada’s economy and workforce. With over 35,000 jobs being created, including over 10,000 union construction jobs, this project exemplifies the power of infrastructure investments to uplift working families and boost local economies. It will reduce travel time and emissions and demonstrate the strength of union labor in building the future of transportation. I am proud to support this monumental investment in Nevada’s future and applaud the signing of this $3 billion grant agreement.” -Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-4)
“This $3 billion federal investment is a transformative step forward in shaping the future of Nevada’s transportation; with this funding, we’re closer than ever to making high-speed rail a reality—offering a fast, sustainable alternative to car travel between Las Vegas and Southern California. This project will stimulate economic growth and create jobs, providing lasting benefits for both our state and the region.” - Tracy Larkin Thomason, Director of the Nevada Department of Transportation
ABOUT BRIGHTLINE WEST
Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America – offering a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road by connecting city pairs and congested corridors that are too close to fly and too-long to drive. Brightline West will connect Las Vegas and Southern California with the nation's first true high-speed passenger rail system. The 218-mile, all-electric rail service will include a flagship station in Las Vegas, with additional stations in Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Rancho Cucamonga. At speeds up to 200 miles per hour, trains will take passengers from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in about two hours, twice as fast as the average drive time.
Brightline is currently operating its first passenger rail system connecting Central and South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, with future stations coming to Stuart and Cocoa. For more information, visit www.brightlinewest.com and follow on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook.
BLW MEDIA CONTACT
Antonio Castelan
BLW Director of Public Affairs
acastelan@brightlinewest.com