Brightline Trains West!

[cirdan]

This old and outdated link might help jog some people's memories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Railway_Express

Yes, I remember this very well.

If my memory doesn't fail me, there were two competing proposals at the time, the X train and the Z train. One was more a casino on wheels or party train type thing that would have used extensively rebuilt Gallery cars on UP tracks, and in which speed was very much a secondary consideration, with the ride itself being the attraction. The other was more a transportation thing with higher speeds and thus requiring a bigger budget. Neither of the two proposals appeared to be particularly well thought through in its earlier incarnations. But then Desert XPress got its act together and finally Brightline did its part too.

 

[jis]

There is a very good section on the history of development of Brightline West starting with DesertXpress through XpressWest to Brightline West in Wikipedia...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline_West

I had forgotten about the brief entanglement with the Chinese on the way to Brightline.

 

[eldomtom2]

BW is planning to break ground next week, apparently.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local...on-las-vegas-high-speed-rail-project-3037071/

Brightline West plans to break ground next week on its Las Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed train system.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will join Brightline founder Wes Edens and federal, state and local officials from Nevada and California on Monday at the planned Las Vegas station site for a ceremony kicking off construction on the 218-mile rail line.

 

[JermyZP]

Brightline West to break ground this coming Monday.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local...on-las-vegas-high-speed-rail-project-3037071/

Plans are to have the system between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas to be open by the 2028 LA Summer Olympics.

 

[jis]

Here is a Trains article on the upcoming ground breaking. May require having an account with Trains....

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/brightline-west-groundbreaking-set-for-monday/

 

[PaTrainFan]

Here is the AP story on today's groundbreaking of the LV-LA Brightline.

https://apnews.com/article/high-spe...s-brightline-595913ff2fa3d9001fb89bfab4e6c4d2

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

SMART-TD statement

https://www.smart-union.org/ground-broken-on-brightline-west-new-rail-jobs-incoming/

 

[JermyZP]

Brightline west has chosen Siemens as a preferred bidder to build its rolling stock equipment.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/...or-brightlines-vegas-to-la-rail-line-3043420/

 

[Tlcooper44]

Brightline west has chosen Siemens as a preferred bidder to build its rolling stock equipment.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/...or-brightlines-vegas-to-la-rail-line-3043420/

Hard to imagine anyone would go with Alstom at this point, whether that is deserved or not….

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Siemens wasn't a surprise as Brightline already has a well established relationship with them. However, I hope it's not the end of Alstom being able to build high speed trainsets in the future for the US.

 

[daybeers]

Why not? The Avelia program has been a nightmare.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Why not? The Avelia program has been a nightmare.

Every rolling stock manufacturer has gotten orders that weren't their best work. People were even calling for Siemens' contract with Amtrak to be cancelled, because of the issues the ALC-42s had. It's a new product, give it a chance.

 

[Tlcooper44]

Every rolling stock manufacturer has gotten orders that weren't their best work. People were even calling for Siemens' contract with Amtrak to be cancelled, because of the issues the ALC-42s had. It's a new product, give it a chance.

To me, the issues that plague the Avelias are an order of magnitude greater than those that plagued ALc-42s - though the NEC quite complex.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

It's been outlined as to why the Avelias had issues on the NEC, but I'll leave that for another thread. I'm happy that Brightline West will be bringing the Velaros to the US. They will get 10 sets, two of which will be manufactured in Germany. The remaining 8 will be manufactured in the US in a new plant in Neveda, which is outlined here.

https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...ica-requirements-for-the-nevada-department-of

a. Siemens Proposal—Non-Domestic Rolling Stock Components

Siemens is proposing to introduce the next generation Velaro NOVO Electric-Multiple-Unit (EMU) for the Project. As this would be the first introduction of this technology into the United States, Siemens would plan for the first two trainsets to be manufactured and assembled in its German headquarters with American workers present to witness and learn in advance of commencing the manufacturing and assembly of the remaining eight trainsets at a new factory, which would be constructed in Nevada. Under the Siemens proposal, the following components would not be produced in the United States:

• First Two Complete Trainsets
• Car Shells for All 10 Trainsets (shell structure, frame, vehicle paintwork)

 

[Mailliw]

To be fair Alstom wouldn't have run into the same issues with Brightline West's brand new dedicated tracks as it has with the NEC.

 

[jis]

To be fair Alstom wouldn't have run into the same issues with Brightline West's brand new dedicated tracks as it has with the NEC.

Exactly. The problem is the NEC tracks and rail profile and what not. Alstom is not the first and won't be the last manufacturer to face problems on the NEC specially for speeds above 125mph. The problems will both be with rail-wheel interaction and pantograph-catenary interaction.

 

[cirdan]

FRA signs 3 billion funding agreement for Brightline West

(possibly paywall)

https://www.railjournal.com/financial/fra-signs-us-3bn-funding-agreement-for-brightline-west/