The Department of Transportation has approved $2.5 billion in private activity bonds for the Brightline West high-speed rail project connecting Las Vegas and Southern California.
The 218-mile rail line will primarily run along the I-15 median with trains capable of reaching 186 mph or more, said the DOT, cutting the trip to two hours -- half the time to travel by car. The DOT said Brightline West's $12 billion project will be a fully electric, zero-emission system.
The DOT previously approved a private activity bond of $1 billion for Brightline West in 2020, bringing the total allocation for the project to $3.5 billion. In December, the DOT also awarded a $3 billion grant from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the Nevada Department of Transportation for the rail project.
In June, the DOT awarded a $25 million grant to San Bernardino County Transportation Authority through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Program, which will be used for the construction of Brightline West stations in Hesperia and Victor Valley, California.