What to Know
- The rail service would initially connect Victorille, located northeast of Los Angeles, with Las Vegas
- Future plans call for an extension into the Los Angeles area
- The initial project is expected to be complete by 2022
A high-speed rail network operator is trying to get a project designed to connect Las Vegas and Southern California back on track.
Miami-based Brightline Trains LLC announced Tuesday that it is acquiring XpressWest in an effort to provide rail service between the densely populated SoCal region and the Nevada entertainment destination. The project has faced delays, but the new owners might jump start the process.
The company will take over project development construction and operation, working with federal and local transportation agencies on a rail line that would connect Victorville, located about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in San Bernardino County, and Las Vegas.
The trip should take less than two hours, according to the company's news release. Depending on traffic, the drive from Victorville to Las Vegas takes about three hours.
Brightline said it has future plans to extend the line to the Los Angeles area, but did not have a specific location.
Construction is expected to begin next year along the 15 Freeway. Initial service will begin in 2022, the company said.
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The company, which currently operates rail service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Florida, has plans for a station next to the Las Vegas Strip.
It's a project that has been long on vision, but short on capital and government involvement. XpressWest said in 2015 that it had partnered with China Railway International USA on the project, but investment never materalized, according to the Los Angeles Times.
