At the APTA High-Speed Rail Seminar, industry leaders emphasised a need to build modern, high-performing intercity rail networks that deliver long-term value across the USA. In the seminar’s opening session, the conversation focused on how national-scale investment, paired with strong local leadership and policy alignment, can drive meaningful progress.

To deliver on this vision, Paul Skoutelas, President and CEO at APTA, stressed that the organisation is working in Washington to convince Congress of the conservative, economic benefits of high-speed rail. In doing so, the industry hopes to end the historic trend of chronic underfunding in the sector and reposition rail as a vital component of America’s transportation future.

Paul Skoutelas, President and CEO at APTA

© APTA

Nevada

Providing a state-specific example of rail negligence, MJ Maynard-Carey, Chair of APTA and CEO of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, noted that Las Vegas has previously failed to invest sufficiently in public transport infrastructure. In a region known for its tourism industry and significant weekend travel volumes, she argued that the need for a high-speed rail link to Southern California should have been evident long ago.

MJ Maynard-Carey said:

In Las Vegas, we have made a generational mistake in not investing in high-speed transit. We’ve modelled this out, and even a rail connection between downtown Las Vegas, the Strip, and our airport would have been one of the most profitable lines in the US based on the hundreds of thousands of people coming to Las Vegas every single weekend.

But we just did not have the political will to deliver this. And I think that investment starts at the local level, but certainly needs support from the federal government.

In failing to deliver on this potential, Las Vegas’s missed opportunity reflects a nationwide challenge: a lack of momentum and will to realise the potential of modern transit.

However, rather than dwelling on past mistakes, Maynard-Carey emphasised the need for Nevada to make up for lost time and fully capitalise on the transformative potential of upcoming projects. Chief among them is the Brightline West high-speed rail line linking Las Vegas and Southern California, which, if successfully integrated into a broader regional strategy, offers a powerful opportunity for course correction and long-term impact.

A rendering of the Brightline West Cucamonga Station

California

Chad Edison, California’s Chief Deputy Secretary for Rail and Transit, also recognised the need for high-speed rail to be viewed as part of a long-term strategy to reshape regional economies, reduce emissions, and connect underserved communities. As such, it should be fully integrated with regional and intercity services, as well as land-use planning and private sector development.

California’s recently updated State Rail Plan reflects this notion and includes significant investment of over 65 billion USD in the next decade, much of which is already secured funding. Notably, the long-term vision includes California’s own high-speed rail corridor, alongside interstate connections to both Nevada and Arizona.

The California High Speed Rail system plans to run from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours at speeds of over 200 miles per hour

© State of California

As such, the cross-state consensus presented during the opening of the APTA High-Speed Rail Seminar emphasised that high-speed rail is not simply a transportation upgrade, but a strategic investment in the nation’s future.

With Nevada’s long-overdue course correction and California’s forward-looking approach, leaders are aligning around a shared vision. Progress will now depend on sustained political will and the ability to coordinate investments at both the national and local levels. The opening session thus emphasised that the opportunity is real, and the momentum must not be lost.

Stay tuned or subscribe as we delve deeper into the event’s content and explore the emerging future of high-speed rail in the United States.

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