Rancho Cucamonga link to high-speed train to Las Vegas wins key state approvals

A private company proposing to build a high-speed train from Victorville to Las Vegas has taken a step toward adding an extension along the Cajon Pass to Rancho Cucamonga.

Brightline West has signed agreements with key state transportation agencies that lay the framework for connecting the Vegas-bound train to a newly designed station to be built in Rancho Cucamonga that connects with existing Metrolink service between San Bernardino and Los Angeles, the company announced.

With planning for the 170-mile train to Vegas well underway, the company on Thursday, Oct. 21, signed agreements with California State Transportation Agency, the California Department of Transportation and the California High-Speed Rail Authority for the Rancho Cucamonga spur.

The agreements allow the company to begin negotiating for rights of way that will stretch for 48 miles within the 15 Freeway. The goal is to connect the high-speed train to the Metrolink system at a future station in Rancho Cucamonga, offering travel between Los Angeles and Las Vegas by train.

Brightline predicts the high-speed train service from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga will take two hours, about half the driving time. The trip between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, using Metrolink and the new high-speed train through the High Desert, will take about three hours one way.

The company has said the high-speed train will whisk passengers at speeds of up to 180 mph. The cost of a ticket has not yet been revealed.

“This Memorandum of Understanding marks a critical milestone in our goal to connect the Los Angeles metropolitan area with the iconic entertainment destination of Las Vegas,” said Mike Reininger, CEO of Brightline Holdings, in a prepared statement.

“This system will provide an optimal travel solution between Southern California and Las Vegas, and opens up the reality of emission-free, hospitality-focused high-speed rail service to millions of people traveling between these destinations every year,” Reininger added.

A timeline for the project has not been set, said Greta Seidman, spokesperson for the project. Once ground is broken, construction of the train line will take about four years, she said.

The company’s agreements with state agencies allow it to move forward with negotiations with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and the city of Rancho Cucamonga. Preliminary plans for the southerly extension called for the line to be built along the 15 Freeway and when reaching Foothill Boulevard, jogging west to connect with the new station that connects to Metrolink, to be located just west of Milliken Avenue.

Not only would it be the first such ground, non-driving option to Las Vegas from Southern California, but the southern extension of the high-speed train would be the first rail option for moving commuters to and from the High Desert and employment centers in the San Bernardino and west valleys.

By running zero-emission trains, the company estimates the projects will reduce carbon dioxide emissions that cause global climate change by 400,000 tons each year and reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled by 935 million annually.

Brightline estimates the project will run about 11 million trips annually. Last year, the company estimated it would cost $5 billion to build and will be privately financed.

Besides the link to the Brightline train, the future Rancho Cucamonga station is planned to provide access to a tunnel project that would transport passengers underground to and from Ontario International Airport. Also, the county transportation agency is looking at extending a zero-emission train equipped with a fuel cell from the Arrow line being built in Redlands to Rancho Cucamonga and beyond, as well as a new bus rapid transit line.

“Along with planned underground loop service to Ontario International Airport, the upcoming Redlands Passenger Rail Service and the West Valley Connector bus rapid transit system, high-speed rail to and from Las Vegas is shaping up to be a game changer for our region,” Curt Hagman, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and president of SBCTA, said in a prepared statement.

Added Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Dennis Michael: “We firmly believe this is the best location in all of Southern California, and see enhanced transit as a key element in building a new model for living, working and playing.”

Brightline currently operates rail service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in Florida.