High-speed rail proponents who look forward to the bullet train connecting Southern California to Las Vegas may get sticker shock from the initial ticket prices.
In recent filings that seek to raise $2.5 billion in a bond offering, Brightline West revealed that ticket prices for the trip would range from about $119 to $133 one way. In comparison, Brightline’s prices for its original line from Miami to Orlando start as low as $29 for a ticket, though that can increase depending on the time, date and class of the ticket.
Brightline West may sway travelers with certain perks to take rail instead of driving to Las Vegas. Notably, riders from Los Angeles skip the interstate congestion that’s typical for the 270-mile trip on Interstate 15, which can take four to five hours with no traffic but often stretches well past six hours during busy days.
In comparison, Brightline West is projected to travel up to 200 mph. The train is expected to reach Las Vegas in just over two hours, even with multiple stops. Travelers from LA will still have to make their way to the Rancho Cucamonga station, which costs $8 and takes an hour and 20 minutes from Union Station on the Metrolink train. A source close to the company said ticket prices reflect the speed at which the train travels. The peak speed of the train in Florida is 130 mph, according to the Brightline website.
But Brightline West isn’t solely competing with cars on the road. Its tightest competitor will be airlines that capture travelers who take to the skies to reach Vegas. A flight from Los Angeles International Airport takes travelers a little over an hour, plus wait times at the airport. “Round-trip air fares vary from under $50 to over $500 depending on the carrier, dates and times of travel,” Brightline West wrote in the bond documents.
The current ticket prices are projections and could change by 2031. Previously, Brightline founder Wes Edens told the LA Times that tickets would eventually be more than $400 for a round trip.
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