LAS VEGAS — Brightline West, the planned high speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California, has announced an agreement with a coalition of 13 rail unions for the project to use union labor.
In another development, a news report says a group of California agencies have agreed to build wildlife overcrossings to span Interstate 15 and the planned Brightline West route across the desert.
Tuesday’s announcement of a memorandum of understanding between Brightline West and the High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition was heralded by the two parties as a demonstration of union labor’s support for the development of the project, and Brightline West’s commitment to provide the safest possible operations and high-quality working conditions.
“Our nation’s first high-speed rail system will be operated and maintained by union labor, a statement of the strength of the American workforce,” said Brightline Holdings CEO Mike Reiniger. Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, said, “As the nation’s largest transportation labor union federation, we are proud to support monumental projects like Brightline West, which will deliver a modern, efficient, and green transit system while putting skilled union members to work.”
Labor coalition members include the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical and Engineering Department; National Conference of Firemen and Oilers 32BJ/SEIU; Transportation Communications Union, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; Brotherhood of Railway Carmen; International Brotherhood of Boilermakers; Transport Workers Union of America; American Train Dispatchers Association; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Department;Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Meanwhile, the Victorville Daily Press reports that agencies including the California Department of Transportation and the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife will build three dedicated overcrossings to provide a path for wildlife, especially desert bighorn sheep, to pass over the existing highway lanes and future rail route.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has identified three locations in San Bernardino County to build those overpasses. The Brightline West project will also maintain or improve more than 600 existing culverts or other crossings under I-15, and will restore or install desert tortoise fencing and other fencing to direct wildlife. The project will seek federal funding to go along with Caltrans, Fish and Wildlife, and Brightline West funds.
The Brightline West project at one time aimed to begin construction in late 2020 [see “Las Vegas high speed project …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 26, 2020]; a website with details on its construction plans that was launched that year is no longer active. Planning work for the project does continue, with recent developments including a partnership agreement on an extension from Victorville to Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. [see “Brightline West announces partners …,” News Wire, Oct. 22, 2022]. Environmental review of that extension is progress, with a projected completion date of March 31.
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