If only Las Vegas was a tad closer to LA, you could almost consider the Entertainment Capital to be a day trip from the City of Angels. Right now, it takes roughly four hours to drive from sun to sin but new plans from privately run high-speed rail company Brightline could cut that transit time in half.
After more than a decade of working to find the right pathway, Brightline West could completely change the way visitors transit between LA and Las Vegas. This would make it much more feasible to dart out of California and spend the day soaking up all the many layers of hedonism Las Vegas has to offer, then head on back just as quickly and nurse a hangover on Venice Beach.
Brightline is hoping to have this LA to Vegas high-speed train in place by 2027 with the journey time rated at 135 minutes, or 2.25 hours according to the Florida-based railway company. In some cases, it could even be quicker than flying since the same trip via the skies takes 1 hour and 15 minutes but also includes all the on-ground frustrations that are common at American airports, especially LAX.
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The Brightline West route between LA and Las Vegas would start in San Bernardino, California. Although do note that this is on the outskirts of what you’d usually consider LA, located about 98 km from Downtown LA. The railway route would then stop in Victor Valley before heading straight to the beating heart of Las Vegas, the famously rowdy Strip.
It’s a tempting prospect from America given the country’s rail system is notoriously unappealing. Not only that, but the introduction should easily reduce the number of cars on the road by around three million annually, resulting in 400,000 fewer tonnes of carbon entering the air each year. Considering around 50 million one-way trips are made between LA and Vegas each year, with 85% via bus or car, this would significantly move the two states forward when it comes to eco-credentials.
Brightline proposes that the LA to Vegas high speed train will peak at around 12 million one-way journeys per year with the train offering free onboard WiFi, food and drink, substantial luggage storage and hotel check-in services.
