LA to Vegas high speed train now predicted to cost $21 BILLION, as critics warn final sum will be far higher

The price tag for the much-anticipated high-speed train between Southern California and Las Vegas has soared to $21.5 billion with warnings the number could keep rising.

The 218-mile railway will take passengers from Las Vegas to Southern California in just two hours, with a Metrolink connecting them to Los Angeles Union Station.

At speeds of up to 200 mph, Brightline West hopes that its project will promote a ‘car-free, care-free lifestyle’.

Earlier this year, Brightline West reported that the railway’s construction would cost $16 billion, double the initially projection.

But rising costs due to labor shortages, material cost inflation, and competition from other infrastructure projects has driven the cost up even further, according to Desert Sun.

To make up for the difference, the company has requested a $6 billion federal loan through the US Department of Transportation.

The company issued $2.5 billion in private activity bonds in February, which requires it to secure the necessary loan by November.

But if they can’t secure it, they may end up paying even more and be forced to repay investors early.

Brightline West’s anticipated high-speed rail will get passengers from Vegas to Southern California in just two hours

The train will link passengers with a pre-existing Metro Station and usher them to Los Angeles

Brightline Holding CEO P. Mike Reininger is also the head of Brightline West

Initially, the railway was supposed to open in 2027, in time for the Summer Olympics in LA the following year, but the date has been pushed back to 2029.

Brightline West ceremonially broke ground on the project in April 2024 and preliminary construction has begun.

The all-electric trains will be built along the Interstate 15 median with new stations in Apple Valley and Hesperia.

The final stop in Rancho Cucamonga, California will connect passengers to LA on a pre-existing Metro line.

Brightline West claims taking the high-speed rail will be two times faster than the driving time which can take up to five hours.

They also boast that they will create more than 10,000 job during construction and 800 permanent operations and maintenance jobs.

It’s also environmentally friendly and is projected to save 325,000 metric tons of CO2 each year.

According to their website: ‘Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America.’

But the cost for the all-electric railway has soared to $21 billion with warnings it could rise further

Brightline West boasts a car-free, care-free lifestyle for its passengers

The railway will be constructed on the median of interstate 15

The company operates a rail system in Florida which connects Central Florida and South Florida with Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando.

Their LA to Vegas railway would be the nation’s first high-speed train.

But critics worry that Brightline West will have some difficulty convincing passengers that the time saved is worth it.

Commuters will still have to make the journey to the rail station in Rancho Cucamonga an hour from Downtown LA, according to Bloomberg.

While the commute from there should be two hours, a flight between LA and Las Vegas is merely 2.5 hours.

The Trump administration previously bashed a similar project that hoped to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco on a high-speed railway, calling it a waste of tax payer dollars.

The administration also cut a plan to bring high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston.

However, Brightline West’s project appears to have tentative support since it is mostly privately funded.