Las Vegas' glitz, glamor, and gambling have drawn travelers from across the world. But a significant number of Sin City’s regular visitors come from right across Nevada’s western border: Southern California. 

Those visiting from Southern California currently traverse the Mojave by car or plane, but soon a third option will be available: high-speed rail. 

After decades of talk, work on the nation’s first high-speed rail project began this spring when Brightline West broke ground on a 218-mile passenger rail service connecting Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, California. The new travel alternative is slated to open in 2028, just in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A trip on this new high-speed train would cut down a 5-hour drive to just 2.5 hours.

UNLV College of Engineering professor Hualiang (Harry) Teng, a longtime proponent of high-speed rail and a railroad engineering expert, was there when shovels first broke ground. As commissioner on the Nevada High-Speed Rail Authority (NVHSRA) — a state agency created to get the stalling project on the right track — Teng acted as a key advisor to Brightline West.

“Connecting Southern Nevada to Southern California by high-speed rail is an opportunity to lead by example,” Teng said. “A success here could inspire similar projects across the country.”

Here, Teng to discusses how he contributed to Brightline West and how the project could contribute to a burgeoning Southern Nevada economy.

What is high-speed rail, and how does it differ from traditional train travel?

The top speed is what sets high-speed rail apart from traditional train travel. Traditional trains usually run about 60 mph, but high-speed trains can reach upward of 150 mph. Electricity will be used to power the train, which will be provided by overhead wire lines.

The aerodynamic force [of the moving train] will generate a lot of vertical force, so the track will need to be strong with concrete ties to hold the rail to the tie. Traveling through tunnels and over bridges are even more complicated, requiring special treatments for the tracks. We will also need to consider operating the signals and switches along longer stretches of tracks, due to the higher speeds.

Why is the project so important for Nevada?

Visitors coming to Las Vegas are vital to the state’s economy, and high-speed rail would bring more visitors to Las Vegas from Southern California. It is very rare to see that there is no passenger train between major cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Traveling to other cities is a welfare that should be provided for people to enjoy, which has been absent in Las Vegas for more than 20 years, particularly since the Amtrak Wind Desert train was terminated in 1997. It is not an acceptable standard in any other country.

A high-speed rail system would also encourage more developments, such as transit villages around the rail stations. This would then draw businesses to come to the city and serve these transit hubs.

Additionally, the high-speed rail will create many jobs. Many workers will be hired for the construction alone, and then the operation, upkeep, and maintenance will create permanent jobs between here and California. 

Can you talk about how the project has evolved over the years and its significance now that the project has broken ground?

Las Vegas residents have worked on high-speed rail projects for about 30 years, starting with a maglev project connecting Las Vegas to Anaheim, California, in the late 1990s. In 2005, one of the high-speed rail project’s first progenitors, DesertXpress, was proposed, with a terminal station in Victorville, California. After failing to obtain federal funds, DesertXpress changed its name to XpressWest, aiming to build a high-speed rail network in the Southwest connecting major cities like Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with Las Vegas acting as the hub. In 2018, DesertXpress was acquired by Brightline West. 

The Las Vegas high-speed rail is viewed as the most promising to be profitable, and it should be built first out of all high-speed rail lines in the U.S. Brightline West’s success could trigger the development of a high-speed rail network spanning the entire nation. If we build the first line and people enjoy riding it, more federal funds could become available to build a robust high-speed rail network in the U.S.

What engineering challenges must be overcome to build Brightline West?

We have faced many engineering challenges while building Brightline West. Two trains are set to share a single track through the middle of a desert, leaving it susceptible to high heat and wind throughout much of the year. We will have to compensate for these environmental factors when laying the track.

High-speed rails in the Middle East have been constructed under similar extreme conditions, so it is possible, even if all the worst conditions seem to be coming together to make construction more difficult. To lay rails on the railroad track, you need to know the highest and lowest temperatures the track will be subject to throughout the year and the track geometrics such as horizontal and vertical curves. From there, we plug those numbers into a formula that will determine what air temperature it must be when the tracks are laid.

Is there a demand for high-speed rail in America? Could you see high-speed rail spreading to other parts of the country?

There are a lot of opportunities to build high-speed rail in the U.S. Congress is pushing for the four-year, $200 billion American High-Speed Rail Act, which will facilitate the construction of rail systems across the country. High-speed rail is fast, more reliable, more convenient, and environmentally friendly. However, in the future, some high-speed rail lines may not be profitable, so keeping these high-speed rail lines in operation may become an issue.