Here's How Brightline West Could Link Up with California High-Speed Rail

Along the I-15 Freeway in the Inland Empire, major construction is slated to begin next year for Brightline West, a $12-billion high-speed rail project that will link Southern California with Las Vegas. Meanwhile, California High-Speed Rail is making progress in the Central Valley, with plans to eventually extend south into the Los Angeles area. In anticipation of both services operating in Southern California, efforts are underway to connect the two.

A presentation from the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency in September 2024 reveals the proposed High Desert Corridor high-speed rail line. This 54-mile route would run between Palmdale and the Victor Valley, enabling direct service on Brightline West between Los Angeles Union Station and Las Vegas, as opposed to the current plan, which terminates in Rancho Cucamonga, outside Los Angeles County.

The project is currently in the environmental review phase. It would begin at the planned Palmdale Transportation Center, connecting California High-Speed Rail with Metrolink’s Antelope Valley Line. From there, the High Desert Corridor Line would head east through mostly undeveloped areas of unincorporated Los Angeles County, between State Routes 138 and 18.

In the eastern portion of the route near Victor Valley, the line would pass between the Victorville Federal Correctional Complex and the Southern California Logistics Airport, crossing the Mojave River on a large viaduct. It would then merge with the Brightline West corridor along the I-15 right-of-way, with a new platform at the Victor Valley Station facilitating transfers.

As of 2023, cost estimates for the connector range between $5.8 billion and $6.6 billion, depending on whether the station offers direct service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. A direct train would complete the journey in about 2 hours and 54 minutes, while a transfer would extend the travel time to 4 hours and 32 minutes.

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