Las Vegas, NV – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, announced $3.5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to the Nevada Department of Transportation for Brightline West, the first true high-speed rail system in America, connecting Las Vegas and Southern California. 

“As far back as 2001, I’ve been advocating to bring a true high-speed rail system to Southern Nevada, and I am thrilled that today’s funding will allow Brightline West and the Nevada Department of Transportation to do just that,” said Rep. Titus. “This project will help bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue and create thousands of good-paying, union jobs. We’ll be creating jobs, reducing emissions, alleviating traffic, and setting an unprecedented example for the possibilities of high-speed rail in our country.”

Background
The Brightline West project will construct a high-speed rail system along the congested Interstate 15 corridor, connecting Southern California to Nevada. Estimates show it will generate over $10 billion in economic activity, the creation of more than 35,000 construction jobs, and the reduction of over 400,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

Rep. Titus played an integral role in making today’s funding possible. During House negotiations in 2021 on an infrastructure package, she was able to secure the inclusion of language allowing private companies, like Brightline, to partner with public entities when applying for funding through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program. The language was retained when the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed by President Biden. 

Earlier this year, Rep. Titus led the Nevada delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging funding for the project, and celebrated Brightline’s agreement with the Southern Nevada Building Trades Union to ensure that the project would create good-paying union jobs. 

Following the completion this summer of all of the necessary environmental reviews for the project, Rep. Titus called on the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to expedite consideration of Brightline’s petitions to begin construction.