WASHINGTON — Brightline West is seeking a $6 billion government loan to address increased construction costs for its planned route between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nev.
A Department of Transportation document indicates the company behind the project, DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC, applied for the loan under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, which dates to 1998. That program provides low, fixed-interest loans for “qualified projects of regional and national significance.” The application indicates that the overall cost of the project is now estimated at $21.05 billion, up from an earlier estimate of $16 billion.
Bloomberg reports that Brightline CEO Mike Reininger said rising labor and material costs — reflecting increased demand for projects such as data centers, power plants, and transportation infrastructure — were driving the cost increase. The federal loan would take the place of $6 billion in bank funding under the original financing plan, while the company will raise equity to cover most of the $5.5 billion cost increase, Reininger told Bloomberg.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has previously said he is “tentatively supportive” of the Brightline West project because of its private development [see “House committee questions Duffy …,” Trains.com, July 16, 2025]. The Trump administration has pulled funding for California’s state-developed high-speed project, as well as the Texas Central proposal for a Dallas-Houston high speed line.
