On April 22, Brightline West officially broke ground on its Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail system. The 218-mile route will be constructed within the median of the I-15 highway with zero grade crossings, and is based on Brightline’s business model of connecting city pairs that are too short to fly and too far to drive.
The BLET and 12 other Rail Labor unions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Brightline West’s management in February 2023 that protects the use of union labor after the trains start running. The MOU establishes Brightline West as a “carrier” under the Railway Labor Act and gives Rail Labor rights to seek representation elections for all crafts for the purpose of collective bargaining. The projected start date is summer of 2028, which coincides with the launch of the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The project was recently awarded $3 billion in funding from President Biden’s bipartisan Infrastructure bill. Brightline West’s trains will reach speeds of 200 mph and turn a four-hour car ride into a two-hour high-speed train trip. The system will have stops in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as Victor Valley, Hesperia, and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. BLET National President Eddie Hall, who joined Brightline West executives, government leaders and representatives of other unions at the April 22 groundbreaking, said: “This is an important next chapter for travel by rail on this continent that offers new job opportunities for our members. Full speed ahead.”
See a photo gallery of the Brightline West groundbreaking.
BLET National President Eddie Hall (left) speaks with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at the Brightline West ceremony.