As Brightline executives have traveled across the UK, France, Spain, and Japan, they’ve gleaned valuable insights into the rail industry. They emphasize the importance of selecting routes with minimal legal disputes and environmental impacts. Furthermore, they learned that the ideal rail service should be faster than air travel but long enough and attract a large enough ridership to persuade drivers to leave their cars behind.
Brightline estimates that the transport volume between Southern California and Las Vegas could reach 50 million passengers annually, exceeding the 40 million who drive. Chairman Patrick Goddard noted, “Drivers will pass our stations and see trains whizzing by at 220 miles per hour—it’s going to be an incredible sight.”
However, despite these promising projections, Brightline’s current ridership in Florida has yet to meet expectations. The service currently operates only between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. Additionally, before the route to Orlando opens, the company reported a staggering loss of $190 million in the first nine months of 2023.
Brightline West faces even greater challenges. The two-hour journey from Las Vegas to Southern California involves navigating steep mountain passes, presenting both design and construction difficulties. Moreover, with the Cucamonga Valley located 40 miles from downtown Los Angeles, travelers will either need to take a lengthy Metro ride or drive for one to two hours to reach their destination.
From a business perspective, Goddard made it clear that while there won’t be a price increase in the short run, the ultimate goal is to charge $400 for a round-trip ticket. This raises questions about whether Biden’s high-speed rail vision will be accessible for the average American.
