The U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition has expressed support for recent remarks by David Fink, head of the Federal Railroad Administration, regarding potential federal investment in the Brightline West rail project.
Mr Fink spoke at a conference in Washington, D.C. on 30 April, where he indicated interest in backing the proposed high-speed rail line connecting Las Vegas and Southern California.
A future Brightline West train
© Brightline
In response, Andy Kunz, president and chief executive of U.S. High Speed Rail, acknowledged that the comments signal continued engagement from federal authorities on rail development.
Andy Kunz, President & CEO of U.S. High Speed Rail said:
David Fink’s comments are a positive signal for the future of high-speed rail in America. We strongly support Brightline West’s bullet train project and look forward to seeing robust future federal support for high-speed rail projects across the country.
Brightline West is a planned high-speed rail service intended to cover approximately 218 miles between Las Vegas and Southern California. The journey time is estimated at around two hours, with trains expected to reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.
The project submitted an application in September to the U.S. Department of Transportation for a loan valued at 6 billion USD. Federal officials have not yet confirmed a decision on the request.