Brightline West officials give Chino Hills council update on Las Vegas–Southern California high-speed project
Loading...
Summary
Brightline West presented an update on its planned high-speed rail link between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, describing the alignment up the median of I‑15, stations, rolling stock procurement with Siemens, a federal grant routed through Nevada DOT, and a targeted late‑2028 opening window.
Brightline West representatives updated the Chino Hills City Council on March 11 about progress on a proposed high-speed rail line linking Las Vegas and Southern California, describing route, stations, trainsets, jobs and construction staging.
Asha Jones, vice president of corporate affairs for Brightline West, told the council the alignment will use a protected median along I‑15 with stops at Las Vegas, two inline High Desert stops (Victor Valley and Hesperia) and a Southern California station constructed above the Metrolink Rancho Cucamonga station to enable transfers. “We are a complement to the system that already exists,” Jones said, adding that Brightline West expects to offer single-ticket transfers onto Metrolink and to synchronize schedules to minimize wait times.
Jones said the Las Vegas-to-Rancho route spans about 218 miles and the trains are designed for top speeds up to 200 miles per hour on flat segments. She said Siemens was selected to produce 10 trainsets; due to an initial Buy America waiver the first two will be built in Germany with subsequent sets built in the U.S. Jones described the project as a union construction program, cited an estimated economic impact tied to construction and said the project anticipates both express and commuter-style runs that include seats reserved for daily commuters from Victorville and Hesperia.
Funding and procurement points mentioned in the presentation included a federal grant administered through the Nevada Department of Transportation and private-activity bond financing. Jones said Brightline West had completed initial rounds of project financing and was finalizing prime construction contracts split into multiple civil packages along the alignment.
Council members asked about timeline and fares. Jones said earlier targets tied to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic timeframe had slipped and that the current realistic near-term target for opening was late 2028. On fares she explained pricing will use dynamic models that are not finalized until more operational data is available; she offered a rough ballpark example discussed by media and community members of about $125 one-way as a price point being modeled for some trips but said final pricing was not yet set.
There was no council action requested or taken on the Brightline West presentation; it was an informational update with a short question-and-answer period following the presentation.
