By BEX Staff for NVBEX
Brightline West is seeking $2.5B in private activity bonds for its $12.4B rail line between Las Vegas and California.
The bonds are split into two separate sales, with California paying nearly $1.9B and Nevada paying $625M. The rail line is to be 218 miles in total. Construction is expected to begin this year.
Construction will be carried out on multiple sections of the rail line simultaneously. The section in Nevada is expected to be constructed by Las Vegas Paving. This section of the rail line is to be 34 miles long. An article from Railway Technology states Atlas Technical Consultants is providing geotechnical engineering and design services.
The rail line is expected to be built in the Interstate 15 right-of-way. Barriers will be in place to separate the rail line from the interstate.
The Las Vegas Brightline Station, located on Las Vegas Blvd. near Blue Diamond Road, will consist of a train platform and two tracks. The station is expected to be constructed by McCarthy Building Companies Inc. The Brightline West website states the station will be built on a 110-acre property.
A 2023 article states Grimshaw Architects will be designing the Las Vegas station. Rockwell Group is designing the lounge in the station, and Arup is providing engineering services.
California is expected to receive three stations. The stations are to be in Rancho Cucamonga, Hesperia and Victor Valley. Sloan, Nev., is to receive a maintenance facility.
A California maintenance facility is expected in Apple Valley. The maintenance facilities are to be constructed by The Whiting-Turner Construction Company.
A press release from Brightline West states the Vehicle Maintenance Facility will be a 200KSF building on 238 acres. The facility will serve as a daily maintenance hub for the trains. More than 100 employees will be employed at the maintenance facility.
Railway Technology reported HNTB is the design firm attached to the maintenance facility.
The bond document indicated the project had been pushed back from early 2028 to December of that year. An average one-way ticket on the train is expected to cost $119. Current projections estimate Brightline netting a ticket revenue of $1.1B in 2031. Brightline expects to launch 35 trips every day.
Geotechnical and surveying work was completed last year. The $12.4B project received a $3B grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The U.S. Department of Transportation offered the project $5.5B in total bonding authority.
Brightline indicated it will be paying for the remainder of the project through equity contributions and debt. (Source)
