Virgin Train USA’s rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas is on track to begin construction next year, says the company’s vice-president.
“The economy here in Clark County is booming,” Bob O’Malley told the Clark County Commissioners in Las Vegas last week. “A lot of people want to be here. There’s a lot of excitement going on and now is the right time to make this project happen.”
“This is a $2 billion investment into Southern Nevada’s economy,” local broadcaster KTNV quoted District A Commissioner Michael Naft as saying. “This is 13,500 hardworking men and women who are going to touch this soil and work on this project.”
The rail line will stretch 170 miles from Las Vegas to Victorville, CA, and all trains will be electric and run every 45 minutes. Later, the company hopes to expand service to Palmdale and eventually downtown Los Angeles.
The goal is to begin operating the trains in 2023.