According to a report on the website of Popular Science Monthly on April 23, builders in the United States have officially started construction on a new $12 billion railway that will shuttle passengers between Las Vegas and Los Angeles in less than two hours by the end of this decade. The line, billed as the first high-speed rail in the United States, could cut commuting times and greenhouse gas emissions for travelers who already travel by car and plane, which emit more than rail. As part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021, Bright Line, the railroad company responsible for the project, received $3 billion in federal funding.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, one of several Biden administration officials who attended the opening ceremony on Tuesday, called the moment "an important milestone in shaping the future of American rail."

"We are writing a new chapter in our nation's transportation story, including thousands of union jobs, new connections to better economic opportunity, reduced road congestion and reduced air pollution," Buttigieg said in a statement.

Bright Line expects trains to depart every 40 minutes from the station just off the Las Vegas Strip and from the Los Angeles suburb of Rancho Cucamonga. When completed, the train will travel at 186 miles per hour, making it the fastest train in the United States. Bright Line's recently completed rail link to parts of Florida has an estimated top speed of 130 miles per hour.

The new line will take just two hours and 10 minutes to complete the 218-mile journey between the suburbs of Sin City and the City of Angels. Even in the absence of serious traffic congestion, the same journey would take about four hours by car.

Bright Line did not disclose the specific price of high-speed rail tickets, but said it is expected to be comparable to air tickets. Once operational, the company reportedly believes the line could attract 11 million one-way passengers a year.

The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the new line could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 tons per year and create 35,000 new jobs. It would also help foster much-needed new competition. Amtrak has long had a monopoly on long-distance rail in the United States, but many areas, such as Las Vegas, remain unserved. Bright Line wants to build more lines over the next decade, focusing on connecting areas where commuters find flying too close and driving too far for comfort. Editor/Xu Shengpeng