After first announcing plans to introduce a bullet train to the United States in early March, the Las Vegas-to-California train recently received support from a bipartisan congressional group from Nevada and California. The train and rail will be constructed by Brightline West and High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition.

The new, high-speed train will connect Las Vegas, Nevada, with the Los Angeles area of California, spanning about 220 miles along Interstate 15. More specifically, the rail links Las Vegas with Apple Valley and, because Apple Valley lies a bit outside Los Angeles, Brightline West plans to build an extension of the link to a Metrolink station in Rancho Cucamonga. The company intends to have a dedicated platform there.

It’s estimated about $10 billion will go into the project. In addition to creating nearly 35,000 new jobs and 1,000 permanent jobs, the new rail will greatly reduce traffic jams often occurring between these two cities. In fact, on one stretch near the California-Nevada border, covering 15 miles, traffic jams are a common occurrence. Weekends and holidays see even worse traffic.

The new bullet train would cut the four-hour trip nearly in half, traveling at almost 200 mph. The benefits of the new train don’t end there, however. In a country increasingly relying on the use of cars and trucks for transportation, the implementation of a rail line along a heavily used route will reduce carbon emissions.

Producing lower emissions than the number of cars estimated to move between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, the new train will be fully electric. Brightline West hopes to reduce car numbers by 3 million, as well, saving 400,000 tons of CO2 every year.

Brightline West currently seeks about $3.75 billion in federal funding in hopes to continue this project on time, with an anticipated completion date of 2027.

The train marks the first high-speed bullet train to launch in the United States. International destinations with bullet trains see great success. On Japan’s main islands of Hokkaido, Kyushu and Honshu, a network of high-speed train lines connect Tokyo with other major cities.

In Europe, TGV Lyria connects France with Switzerland, while the Thalys train spans 17 cities in Western Europe, including Paris and Amsterdam. As the United States finally joins the high-speed train club, there’s great hope for reduced traffic, reduced emissions, reduced travel times and increased jobs and consumer happiness.

Brightline currently operates trains throughout South Florida, with stations in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Aventura, Miami and, soon, Orlando. The company recently partnered with Uber for even easier and smoother travels between destinations in South Florida, including airport transfers and more.

Do you plan to try the bullet train when it opens in 2027? Do you think more destinations in the United States should consider high-speed trains? What are the pros and cons of this? Have you traveled with Brightline in Florida? What was your experience like? Do you think the United States should promote train travel more? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.