Almost two years after breaking ground, work on an all-electric, high-speed train between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is now set to wrap up in 2029.
Antonio Castelan, director of public relations for the Brightline West rail project, confirmed in a statement to Equipment World that the project’s formal completion date is now late 2029. The 218-mile rail line, which will use the median of Interstate 15 and travel up to 200 mph, had previously been set to open before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
This project — the first of its kind in the U.S. — broke ground in April 2024. It is expected to cut travel time in half to 2 hours between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Brightline says. The system was originally estimated to cost $12 billion, but a U.S. Department of Transportation document dated October 1, 2025, now puts that estimate at $21.5 billion and shows Brightline West is seeking a new $6 billion federal loan.
Recent efforts to raise funds include the sale of private activity bonds totaling $2.5 billion in March 2025. That sale involved the California Infrastructure and Economic Development and the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, with counsel from law firm Orrick.
The fully electric trains are designed to produce no carbon emissions. Brightline says that by saving plane and car travel, the system will cut 400,000 tons a year of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.
Four stops are planned for the system. Along with a stop near the Vegas Strip, there will be stations in California at Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga. The Rancho Cucamonga Station will enable a further passenger-rail connector to downtown L.A. via the California Metrolink.
Brightline is the same company that brought high-speed passenger rail to Florida, completing its link between Orlando and Miami in 2023.
