The USA finally discovered TGVs

It seems that the United States will finally have its first high-speed train – like those that have existed for decades in the rest of the world.

This Tuesday, construction began on what is being “first real” railway line high speed us USAwhich will call Las Vegas The Los Angeles.

The opening ceremony, this Tuesday, in Las Vegas, marked the official beginning of construction of the Brightline West which is scheduled for completion in 2028 – in time for Olympic Games in Los Angelesthis year.

The inaugural session was attended by the US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigiegwho congratulated himself on the work, quoted by the Associated Press, saying that “Americans have been dreaming for decades with the high-speed train”.

At the beginning of the article it was written “first true”, because, in reality, there has already been, since 2018, a line that can be considered high speed. It is a fast train between Miami and Orlando written by the sister of Brightline WestThe Brightline Holdingswhich reaches 200 kilometers per hour (km/h).

However, the Brightline West will be “truly” high speed: it is expected to reach 320 km/hin a project of 12 billion dollars.

The 350-kilometer journey between Las Vegas and Los Angeles should take just over 2 hours – which represents an attractive alternative to the 4-hour drive through the Mojave Desert, which 50 million people do annually.

“The high-speed train is a very efficient way of transporting a large volume of passengers over a medium distance”, points out Junfeng Jiaoresearcher at the University of Texas, cited by New Scientist.

“There are many examples of success in European and Asian countries who have proven that it is possible to make profits from high-speed rail operations,” he added.

“I believe we will look back and say, ‘This was the birth of a high-speed train industry,’” he predicts Wes Edensfounder of Brightline Holdings. The company estimates that it has 11 million passengers per year.