Construction of America's first high-speed rail line begins

Today, ground was broken for what is said to be America's first high-speed rail line. The project, designed to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas via a 218-mile track that will be built through the Mojave Desert, will be completed. During the next four yearsAs its supporters say.

The proposed infrastructure project would extend from Rancho Cucamonga, California, to Vegas and be headed by rail builder Brightline. in Description of the projectThe company notes that the new route will be traveled by “all-electric, zero-emission trains” that will be able to “reach top speeds of 200 mph, transporting passengers from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in about 2 hours and 10 minutes.” (Twice as fast as normal driving time.)” The project has received $3 billion in federal funding provided by the Biden administration. The Associated Press writes.

in press release The project “will remove an estimated 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, boost tourism, and create 35,000 good-paying jobs,” the government said from Biden's Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg.

“As America’s first true high-speed rail system, Bright Line West will serve as a blueprint for connecting cities with fast, environmentally friendly commuter rail across the country,” Bright Line Founder and Chairman Wes Eddins said. He said previously. “Connecting Las Vegas and Southern California will provide broad public benefits to both states, creating thousands of jobs and unlocking a new level of economic competitiveness for the region. We appreciate the confidence placed in us by the Department of Transportation and are ready to get to work.”

AP Also notes Brightline already operates the rail system between Miami and Orlando, Florida. Gizmodo has reached out to the company for details about its new project and will update this story if it responds.

Many countries around the world have modernized their railway systems. Much of Europe is connected by a range of efficient and comfortable train systems Bullet trains in Japan It has long been a source of pride for the country. It is said to China They have the fastest trains in the world It has built a highly efficient high-speed rail network in just twenty years. Meanwhile, the United States had largely failed to develop any type of modern rail travel Decades of talk About the benefits these systems could bring to Americans.

We can only hope that this new effort does not suffer the same fate as California Long suffering attempt To establish high-speed rail service between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The project, which was originally approved by state voters in 2008, is — as of this year —I completed less than a quarter The proposed railway line is currently missing billions of dollars in funding. In March, project leaders told California lawmakers that a full rail line was originally envisioned It will take another $100 billion and years to complete.