LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Brightline West construction should begin within the next two months, a Nevada Department of Transportation official said today (Monday, Feb. 10, 2025).
KLAS-TV reports that Eric Scheetz, Nevada DOT senior project manager, told a meeting of the NDOT board of directors that the agency must have proof that Brightline West has financing in place before construction of the Las Vegas-Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., high-speed route can begin.
Brightline West and the Federal Railroad Administration have already signed off on a $3 billion grant awarded in December 2023 [see “FRA finalizes …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 26, 2024]. The company is also currently offering $2.5 billion in private activity bonds authorized by the U.S. Department of Transportation [see “Brightline West now expecting to launch …,” News Wire, Jan. 26, 2025]. The rest of the money will come through private funding, including loans.
“Literally, stuff is changing by the minute,” Scheetz told the board. “We’re hearing good responses from Brightline that the banks are becoming very close to signing on the dotted line, if you will.”
Scheetz told the board that the structure of the federal grant agreement requires Brightline West to spend money on the project, then receive reimbursement. “The nice part is we are not actually outlaying any state funds from that,” he said. “We are just making sure … they produce what they say they will, and then they’re allowed to be reimbursed for it.”
He also said the $12 billion project is broken into nine regional contracts, which reduces risk: “If there’s an issue with one contractor, it’s nice to know you can pull on another contractor and make sure everything gets finished properly.”
Once it begins, construction will take about three years, Scheetz said. Brightline West had been aiming to begin operations in time for the Los Angeles Olympics in summer 2028, but documents related to the private activity bond offering indicate December 2028 is now the target.
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