China, U.S. Reach Agreement on High-Speed Rail Before Xi Visit
- Deal is China's first contract for high-speed Line in U.S.
- Deal to link L.A. and Las Vegas comes after 4 years of talks
A computer rendering of the XpressWest train.
Source: XpressWestThis article is for subscribers only.
A China Railway Group-led consortium and XpressWest Enterprises LLC will form a joint venture to build a high-speed railway linking Las Vegas and Los Angeles, the first Chinese-made bullet-train project in the U.S.
Construction of the 370-kilometer (230-mile) Southwest Rail Network will begin as soon as next September, according to a statement from Shu Guozeng, an official with the Communist Party’s leading group on financial and economic affairs. The project comes after four years of negotiations and will be supported by $100 million in initial capital. The statement didn’t specify the project’s expected cost or completion date.