11,000 To Be Hired For IE To Las Vegas High-Speed Rail Project

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA — If you've driven between Las Vegas and the Inland Empire, you've likely noticed the high-speed rail advertisements stretching alongside that freeway stating, "California, Here We Come." Union construction companies this week announced plans to hire 11,000 workers to complete the first stage of the massive project.

The high-speed train project, tasked to Brightline West, will provide service from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas upon its completion, but workers must first lay 218 miles of rail to accommodate the high-speed trains by 2028 when the Summer Olympics open in Los Angeles County.

According to ABC7, workers in both California and Nevada will soon start laying the track at opposite ends to ultimately meet up at the state line. By far, the majority of the work toward building that rail line alongside the I-15 freeway is in California, according to the Brightline West system map.

Much like the "golden spike" driven into railroad ties in 1869 to celebrate the completion of the transcontinental railroad—the line is highly anticipated for the economic benefits of linking Sin City and SoCal.

For now, there is much work to be done and workers needed. Brightline West has listed a job opening for a Las Vegas Project Manager-Director and a Deputy VP, Civil Infrastructure, in California, among other positions.

In December, the Biden Administration earmarked $3 billion in funding toward the high-speed rail project, which will include the train, the transit center, and more. A total of $12 billion is needed to complete the project. An estimated 3 million cars would be removed from the heavily traveled I-15 freeway that runs between Las Vegas and the Inland Empire, according to a statement from Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen.

Not only would the rail line cut the four-hour freeway trip from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas in half, proponents hope it would also cure many traffic woes for visitors often stuck in the holiday traffic that stretches along the I-15 miles from California to Nevada.

Calls for a high-speed rail line whisking tourists from the Inland Empire to Las Vegas have been voiced for decades, said U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Democrat who represents the Las Vegas Strip.

“This historic high-speed rail project will be a game changer for Nevada’s tourism economy and transportation,” Rosen stated in a written statement. “For decades, Nevadans have heard about the benefits of high-speed rail, and I’m proud to have led the charge for months to push the U.S. Department of Transportation to secure critical funding to make this a reality.”

Related:

• Feds Bet $3B On 2-Hour High-Speed Rail From SoCal To Vegas
• High-Speed Rail Gets Boost: Would You Day Trip From San Gabriel Valley To Las Vegas?