PRIVATE US company Brightline West, which plans to build a 350km high-speed line between Las Vegas and southern California, has commenced ground survey work and construction worker recruitment ahead of groundbreaking later this year.
The work includes geotechnical sampling, utility potholing and land surveys and will take place within the project’s right of way within the Interstate 15 (I-15) highway corridor. The surveys, which are due to complete by mid-March, are being carried out in coordination with the Nevada Department of Transportation.
The ground surveys will inform final designs for the line necessary for the start of construction.
Local media has also reported the start of a recruitment drive for the up to 11,000 workers required to build the new $US 12.5bn line, which is due to open in summer 2028, in time for the Los Angeles Olympics.
“Things like the entitlement process and land issues for both the station and the rail line are taken care of,” says Mr Michael Naft, Clark County commissioner. “Rights of way issues have been resolved… There’s so much groundwork that has gone into this project, that now it truly is shovel-ready.
Up to 25 train pairs are expected to run on the new line at 45-minute intervals at speeds of up to 290km/h between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, where an interchange will be constructed next to the existing Metrolink commuter station, providing access to downtown Los Angeles. Brightline West is also in discussions with the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) over a possible new station at Palmdale, California.
The federal government awarded the project $US 3.1bn of funding in December from the Biden administration’s signature Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act.
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