Massive Grant Makes Revolutionized Travel in United States Even More Attainable

Travel in the western part of the United States is going to change forever with help from a massive federal grant.

Feb 4, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; An image of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is projected on Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas strip. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There are a lot of people who travel round the United States, whether it is driving themselves in an automobile or flying on a plane. Looking to help decongest some of the traffic and stimulate the economy, another form of travel will hopefully soon be available.

Brightline West is a high-speed rail project with plans to connect Las Vegas to southern California. An ambitious project, the likelihood of something being done has improved thanks to a federal grant from the Nevada Department of Transportation.

$3 billion is set to be received, per Newsweek. It will cover just about a quarter of the entire project, which is estimated to cost $12 billion, and comes courtesy of the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant.

Renderings of the train cars were shared earlier in the year, as they look to be quite luxurious. Anyone who is looking to get the party started early while heading to Las Vegas will be able to as a designated “party car” will be available on all trips.

This project was called "a historic commitment that will jumpstart the high-speed rail industry in America, creating thousands of jobs all across the country. Brightline West will be American-made and American-built, and will serve as the blueprint for connecting city pairs that are too close to fly, but too far to drive," by CEO of Brightline, Michael Reininger, via Newsweek.

Laurelle Stelle of The Cool Down shared some information on the kind of train cars that will be used, how fast they travel and just how much faster your trips will be taking the high-speed rail.

“The line will use 10 fully electric American Pioneer 220 trains, provided by Siemens Mobility and capable of reaching speeds up to 220 miles per hour, as Brightline announced in May. That will make the route from Las Vegas to the line's Rancho Cucamonga station a two-hour journey, about half of the current driving time.”

This is a project that a lot of people are excited about, and rightfully so. Not only will travel times be cut drastically, but the economy should thrive.

U.S.-made trains are going to be used on the high-speed rails and more than 35,000 jobs will be created during the construction. At least 10,000 of them are expected to be union construction positions and approximately 1,000 jobs will be available while the rail operates.

"With this funding, we're closer than ever to making high-speed rail a reality — offering a fast, sustainable alternative to car travel between Las Vegas and Southern California," said Nevada transport director Tracy Larkin Thomason, per Newsweek. "This project will stimulate economic growth and create jobs, providing lasting benefits for both our state and the region."

The expectation is that 400,000 tons of pollutants in the air will be prevented by the introduction of the high-speed rail, which is expected to get about three million cars off the road each year.

Their goal is to have the entire project complete before the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles get underway.