Work on the much-anticipated high-speed rail connecting Las Vegas to Los Angeles began on Monday. This high-speed passenger rail line will reduce the travel time between the two cities to just two hours and will be completed by 2028. The project aims to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas via a 218-mile (350 km) stretch of track that will be built across the Mojave Desert. What’s interesting is that this is the USA’s first high-speed train. Here’s everything you need to know about this under-construction rail line.
Work Begins On High-Speed Trains From Las Vegas To Los Angeles
On April 22, work on the high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area officially began. This $12 billion rail project will connect Sin City to the City of Angels and significantly reduce the travel time between the two cities to just two hours. Currently, it takes more than four hours to travel between the two cities – via car and train.
According to the company’s brief, this rail line will have “all-electric, zero-emission trains.” The high-speed trains will be capable of travelling at the “top speeds of 200 mph (300 kmph)” and get passengers from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. This is almost half the current travel time between the two cities.
According to the officials on this project, this new rail line will “remove an estimated 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, bolster tourism, and create 35,000 good-paying jobs.”
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USA’s First High-Speed Passenger Rail Line
Surprisingly, this is the USA’s first high-speed passenger rail line. Unlike Japan and many European countries, the USA has failed to develop a modernised railway network. This high-speed passenger rail between Las Vegas and Los Angeles will be the first of its kind in the country. And due to its high speed, experts are even comparing it to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains.
According to official forecasts, around 11 million one-way passengers per year and 30,000 per day are expected on this high-speed rail. These trains will offer amenities like restrooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales, and the option to check luggage. For now, the fares of these trains are expected to be well below flight travel.
Did you know that this is the USA’s first high-speed train? Let us know in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)
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