By Railfan & Railroad Staff

Brightline West broke ground Monday on a new high-speed rail line that by 2028 will connect the Los Angeles area with Las Vegas.

The $12 billion project, part of which is being funded with federal money, will result in the nation’s first true high-speed passenger train that will reach speeds of 186 miles per hour. Much of the route will be built down the median of Interstate 15. The train’s eastern terminus will be just south of the Las Vegas Stripe, while the Los Angeles area station will be in Rancho Cucamonga, Calf. There will also be a station in the Victorville area. 

Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who in a statement said the project would create thousands of union jobs and result in less traffic and less pollution.