Brightline West, a high-speed rail project that would span 218 miles from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with stops in Victorville and Rancho Cucamonga, California, is awaiting word on whether it will receive a $6 billion federal loan. Meanwhile, costs are rising, and the completion date is being pushed back. The privately run rail line already has a $3 billion federal loan from 2023, and its overall financing goal has since grown to about $21 billion.
Construction began following the 2023 loan and groundbreaking, but the project’s expected completion has slipped from 2028 to late 2029 as costs have risen. Brightline West has raised about $5.5 billion so far, including roughly $2.5 billion from private activity bonds, with the remainder expected to come from a mix of federal aid and private investment.
If approved, the pending $6 billion loan would bring total funding to about $11.5 billion, a little more than half the project’s estimated cost, with the remaining $9.5 billion expected from private investors. The Build America Bureau, which is reviewing the loan application, has said it has no fixed timeline for a decision…