Brightline West officials announced updates to field investigation work for its planned $12 billion Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail project.

Field work will begin this week within the rail corridor along the Interstate 15 right-of-way on the California side of the project.

The announcement came over a year after Brightline West hosted a groundbreaking for its high-speed rail system in Las Vegas in April 2024.

Brightline West officials announced updates to field investigation work in June 2025, for its planned $12 billion Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail project.

Since then, the company has conducted a number of field investigations along the route, which have included geotechnical borings and samplings, utility potholing and land surveying.

Brightline West’s 218-mile high-speed rail system will be constructed in the middle of Interstate 15, with a flagship passenger station in Las Vegas and stops in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga.

Field investigation work will take place primarily during daytime hours with some work at night to minimize disruption to traffic. In some instances, short-term closures of freeway shoulders will be required.

Field investigation

All work will be done in compliance with applicable environmental regulations and coordination with Caltrans.

Motorists should proceed with caution through work zones and adhere to posted detour signs, speed limits and other signage, company officials stated.

Brightline West officials announced updates to field investigation work in June 2025, for its planned $12 billion Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail project.

Dates and times are subject to change. These operations are weather-dependent.

Field investigation locations include:

Nipton Road and I-15: Geotechnical boring will be performed at night on the southbound interior shoulder of the I-15 freeway at Nipton Road. The work will be performed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 19. The I-15 southbound lane No. 1 will be closed during this work.
Mojave River and I-15: Geotechnical boring will be performed adjacent to the exterior shoulders of the I-15 freeway, in the Mojave River drainage area from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20.
Halloran Summit Road and I-15: Pavement coring will be performed at night on the northbound interior shoulder of the I-15 freeway, 3 miles north of Halloran Summit Road from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday, June 20.
Yates Wells Road and I-15: Potholing will be performed in the center median of the I-15, at the interchanges between Yates Wells Road and Alvord Mountain Road between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Wednesday, June 18 through Friday, June 20.
Glen Helen Parkway and I-15: Infiltration tests will be performed at night on the southbound off-ramp gore area of the I-15 freeway at Glen Helen Parkway from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Thursday, June 19.
Devore and Barstow: Infiltration tests will be performed on the shoulders and gore areas of the I-15 freeway in Devore and Barstow from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20.

Is construction starting soon?

In February, Nevada Department of Transportation officials were told by Brightline that construction of the project would begin within the next two months.

During that time, Nevada Department of Transportation Senior Project Manager Eric Scheetz explained that before construction, his agency must have proof that Brightline West has financing established for the $12 billion project.

Scheetz added that when work begins, it will launch about three years of heavy civil construction that will include bridges, freeway overpass crossings, train stations and other infrastructure.

Brightline West officials announced updates to field investigation work in June 2025, for its planned $12 billion Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail project.

Once that is completed, train rails will be installed, with construction expected to take four years before the project is ready to take on passengers, Scheetz said.

With a top speed of up to 200 miles per hour, the high-speed trains will take passengers from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in about two hours, company officials stated.

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Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Brightline West continues field work in High Desert for its high-speed rail project