LOS ANGELES—A high-speed rail line connecting Southern California with Las Vegas got a major boost Jan. 23 with the approval of $2.5 billion in bonds.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the funding, via private activity bonds authority allocated for the Brightline West High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail project. The 218-mile rail line will primarily run along the Interstate 15 median with trains capable of reaching 186 mph or more, cutting the trip to 2 hours, 10 minutes—half the time to travel by car, officials said.
