Brightline West construction begins

[YorkRailFan]

PRIVATE US company Brightline West held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 22 to mark the official start of work on its $US 12bn high-speed project.

The company plans to build a new 350km line between Las Vegas and southern California, with construction expected to take four years. Brightline West has “an ambitious schedule of being open in time for the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games in 2028,” according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

The new high-speed line, which has full environmental clearance, will run primarily in the median of the I-15 highway, with stations in Las Vegas, Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga.

Brightline expects to operate 25 trains in each direction between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga each day. Trains will depart from both cities at 45-minute intervals and run at up to 290km/h.

“This is a historic project and a proud moment where we break ground on America’s first high-speed rail system and lay the foundation for a new industry,” says Brightline founder, Mr Wes Edens. “Today is long overdue, but the blueprint we’ve created with Brightline will allow us to repeat this model in other city pairs around the country.”

Work starts on Brightline West

Private US company Brightline West held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 22 as work officially started on its $US 12bn high-speed project.

www.railjournal.com

Great news from Brightline West! This project has a lot of potential following Brightline Florida's success, and is set to cost far less than California High Speed Rail. Los Angeles-Las Vegas flights are generally unprofitable for airlines, the flights are just flown to stop competitors from having their cake and eating it, and this project could really give the airlines a run for their money.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The new line finishes 40 miles east of LA, with a trip on the San Bernardino line of the Metrolink system needed to complete the journey.
Views from the median of I-15 won't be too spectacular, but at least the adjacent road traffic will be left in the dust.
Building 270 miles of high speed railway in 4 years sounds a tall order, but there won't be many physical obstacles on the way.
Hopefully they will avoid the financial and legal pitfalls which seem to be common on most new high speed lines.

 

[YorkRailFan]

but there won't be many physical obstacles on the way.

With Brightline being a private company, hopefully there won't be many political obstacles.

 

[BahrainLad]

Are there any technical details about the infrastructure? I'm presuming single track standard gauge 25kv etc. etc. and there is mention of ETCS on the Brightline (or perhaps Siemens) website. I also presume it'll be designed to be double-tracked at a later stage?

 

[Electrostar387]

but at least the adjacent road traffic will be left in the dust

Definitely a plus in a car-centric country such as the US - remind them all when stuck in traffic or going at a much slower speed that there is another way when a train comes stonking by at line speed!

 

[StephenHunter]

It's running in the central reservation of the I-15? That sounds a bit risky if there's a pile-up.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Siemens Mobility has been selected as the “preferred bidder” to build the initial trainsets for the Brightline West high speed rail project, Brightline announced today (Wednesday, May 1).

Siemens will build 10 “American Pioneer 220” trainsets and receive a 30-year contract for maintenance at a facility in Sloan, Nev., under the agreement. The equipment was designed to consider future interoperability with the California High-Speed Rail project, and will meet “Buy America” requirements.

The new equipment will be based on the Siemens Velaro platform already operating in Europe. Siemens will develop a new facility to build the equipment at a location to be announced when the contract is finalized. The seven-car trainsets will have a capacity of 434 to 450 passengers, depending on final configuration. Brightline says they will be “designed to be the most accessible train on the market,” exceeding ADA requirements in allowing passengers in wheelchairs to move from car to car.“Just as we redefined train travel with our trainsets for Brightline Florida, we are excited to pioneer this new frontier of manufacturing and development for Brightline West,” Brightline CEO Michael Reininger said in a press release. “The momentum we are building, will culminate in new jobs and a new supply chain that will establish the foundation for a high-speed rail industry from coast to coast.”

The announcement continues the relationship between Brightline and Siemens, which supplied the locomotives and railcars for Brightline’s Florida operation. Brightline officials had indicated selection of an equipment supplier was imminent during the April 22 Brightline West groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas, given the company’s goal of launching operations in 2028.“We are excited to work with Brightline to transform rail in America,” said Marc Buncher, Siemens Mobility North America CEO. “The high-speed chapter of America’s rail story will build on Siemens’ 40 years of designing, building, testing, delivering and maintaining trains in the United States. On behalf of our 4,500 rail employees across the United States, we are excited to be selected to build and maintain America’s first true high-speed trains, which will feature some of the world’s most innovative high-speed rail technology. When they enter service, it will be one of the most pivotal moments in the history of American rail.”

Siemens to build high speed trainsets for Brightline West - Trains

LAS VEGAS — Siemens Mobility has been selected as the “preferred bidder” to build the initial trainsets for the Brightline West high speed rail project, Brightline announced today (Wednesday, May 1). Siemens will build 10 “American Pioneer 220” trainsets and receive a 30-year contract for...

www.trains.com

Makes a lot of sense for Brightline, with Siemens already providing the traction for Brightline Florida.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

I understand that the first 2 sets will be built in Germany, plus the shells for the remaining sets. The final assembly to be done at the new plant in the US.