Virgin Trains USA could start construction of high-speed line in Calif., Nev., in late 2020
Written by RT&S Staff
Virgin Trains USA is looking to start construction of a high-speed rail line as early as 2020 and will start building in Las Vegas by mid-2021.
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains USA now believes it can start construction of a 170-mile, $4.8 billion high-speed train line from Victorville, Calif., to Las Vegas as early as third quarter 2020.
The Federal Railroad Administration still needs to hand out a record of decision for the project, but Virgin Trains USA has enough material and equipment to start construction immediately. The state of California issued $3.2 billion worth of bonds for construction in November, and now Virgin Trains USA is waiting to hear from the state of Nevada for approval of a $950 million bond program.
Most of the line will run parallel to I-15 in California (170 total miles), with 35 miles of track being installed in Nevada. Work in that state, including a station in Las Vegas, will not begin until mid-2021.
Virgin Trains USA has partnered with Brightline for high-speed rail in Florida, and the endeavor has been marred by 41 deaths as a result of high-speed rail collisions. The California-Nevada line will be built over and under interchanges, which should help eliminate the death risk.
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