LETTER: Red flags surrounding Brightline West

I have never supported Brightline West, despite the lofty promises surrounding the proposed high-speed rail connection between Las Vegas and Southern California. Recent developments suggest those promises deserve considerably more scrutiny.

The Victorville Daily Press recently reported on Brightline’s financial difficulties and the concerns they raise about Brightline West. The concerns are understandable. Brightline West’s estimated cost has increased from the originally promoted $8 billion to approximately $21 billion, while the projected opening has slipped from 2027 to 2029. The project is also seeking a $6 billion federal loan.

Equally troubling is the evolution of the project’s financing. Brightline West was promoted as a privately funded enterprise, yet it has received a $3 billion federal grant, benefited from billions in tax-exempt private-activity bonds and is now seeking another $6 billion in federal financing. Meanwhile, Brightline’s Florida operation is undergoing a major financial restructuring.

Although Brightline Florida and Brightline West are separate entities, the financial difficulties of one part of the Brightline enterprise are certainly relevant when the other is seeking billions more in financing.

None of this proves Brightline West will fail. But the pattern is difficult to ignore: rapidly escalating costs, missed financial milestones, a delayed completion date and increasing reliance on public financing. California’s high-speed rail project provides a cautionary example of what can happen when ambitious projections collide with escalating costs and prolonged delays. Brightline West is a different project, but it appears to be heading in a similar direction.

Before committing additional public money, perhaps we should demand answers about what this project will ultimately cost, and when, if ever, it will actually be completed.