Construction on the highly anticipated bullet train that will transport Southern California residents to Las Vegas is expected to start in 2023 after Brightline, the company behind the project, inked a deal with a coalition of major labor unions.
The coalition, known as the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition, includes “13 rail unions representing more than 160,000 freight, regional, commuter, and passenger railroad workers in the United States,” a news release said.
“Americans want high-speed rail, and Brightline West and the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition will deliver,” the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition shared in a statement.
The project is expected to be completed in 2026 or 2027, the International Railway Journey reported.
A 218-mile system will connect Southern California to Las Vegas. The trains will be able to reach speeds of 200 miles per hour and will be a fully electric emission-free system.
The project also aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by eliminating the need for 3 million cars to travel to Las Vegas.
Company officials hope the project will eliminate 400,000 tons of CO2 from roads annually and relieve traffic on Interstate 15.
The $10 billion project investment will also yield economic benefits. Construction for the train will produce nearly 35,000 jobs, have a more than $10 billion financial return and permanently create 1,000 jobs once the project is complete, officials said.
To use the new rail system, residents in Los Angeles County will have to travel to San Bernardino, ideally using the existing Metrolink system, to board the train.
Before reaching the Las Vegas Strip, the train will stop in Victor Valley, Hesperia, Apple Valley and Rancho Cucamonga.
Brightline also has a station in Florida, where a train connects Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.