Choo choo (2X speed)… The Biden admin pledged $6B to a pair of high-speed-rail projects this week, injecting optimism into what supporters see as the future of public transportation. $3B was awarded to Brightline West, a project that aims to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas with a two-hour train ride. Another $3.1B will go toward a publicly funded effort to connect LA and San Francisco.
Local motion: The 500-mile LA-to-SF project was approved by voters in 2008, and was expected to wrap up in 2020 for $30B. Over a decade later, the new funding will help complete a 119-mile segment, with the full route likely completed in 2033 for $100B+.
Desert crossing: Brightline’s LA-to-Vegas train line is set to start punching tickets in time for the 2028 LA Olympics. Speeds are expected to reach at least 186 mph, and supporters say the system will remove about 3M vehicles from roads.
Finally leavin’ the station… 26 countries have high-speed-rail systems, but the tech has stalled in the US (while traffic gets worse). Now new projects are full steam ahead. Last year, Brightline completed a high-speed line connecting Orlando and Miami in two hours. Brightline’s ridership has more than doubled this year, and it expects 4.3M high-speed passengers/year by 2025. Amtrak is exploring offering high-speed-rail service in Texas, and train builder Alstom has poured $600M into a US supply chain for its fast trains.
Looping back: Elon Musk’s hyperloop concept (which promised 700-mph speeds in a vacuum tube) still hasn’t become a reality.
It’s not as simple as layin’ tracks… Train lines are huge infrastructure projects, made more difficult by lengthy construction timelines and multiple jurisdictions. Heavy lobbying by transportation-industry rivals (like airlines) applies even more brakes. But just as trillions in highway funding expanded car ownership, the $66B earmarked for US rail could make high-speed-train travel mainstream.