Hesperia Passenger Station Proposed for Cajon Pass High-Speed Rail System Connecting Hesperia to Rancho Cucamonga

According to Victor Valley News Group, November 5, 2022, a proposed 49-mile rail system is expected to connect Hesperia to Rancho Cucamonga at speeds of 140 mph through the Cajon Pass, according to the Environmental Assessment document issued by the Federal Railroad Administration. DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC (dba “Brightline West”) proposes to construct and operate the Cajon Pass High-Speed Rail Project, with the previously announced Victor Valley Station to be constructed as part of a separate project that was evaluated in the DesertXpress Final Environmental Impact Statement. At its completion, Brightline West will connect the 260 miles between Nevada to Southern California, utilizing high-speed electric trainsets powered by an overhead catenary wire system. The future passenger station in Hesperia will be constructed at the I-15/Joshua Street interchange and will offer limited services for select southbound AM and northbound PM weekday train coaches. To accommodate the rail alignment, the existing US-395 northbound connector and the existing Joshua Street bridge will be replaced within the existing right-of-way. The Joshua Street bridge will be reconstructed at a higher elevation, requiring the raising of the I-15 ramps and Mariposa Road. As part of the project design, the northbound on-ramp to Joshua Street will be realigned closer to the freeway, and a station parking area will be added on the north side of Joshua Street with parking accessible at the location of the existing northbound ramp intersection, closest to the Pilot Gas Station, providing accommodation for 360 vehicles, including bus drop off areas. The proposed rail alignment will connect to the DesertXpress Project alignment approximately one mile south of the Victor Valley station in Apple Valley. From this point, the alignment will continue south within the I-15 median, requiring several modifications to accommodate the project. Trains are expected to operate daily on 45-minute headways between Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga. The trip between Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga would be approximately 35 minutes. The proposed station in Rancho Cucamonga will have a Metrolink connection to Los Angeles, further meeting the forecasted demand of the 49.1 million one-way trips between Las Vegas and Southern California estimated in 2025. Brightline was first conceived in 2014 with its first high-speed train in operation in 2018, initially connecting Miami to West Palm Beach, and has only expanded its operations to other connecting areas. “The elevated train experience residents and tourists have come to expect (and love) in South Florida will be offered along this route as well, including but not limited to: free onboard Wi-Fi, full ADA accessibility from station to train, a wide selection of food and beverage, checked luggage and hotel check-in services,” according to Brightline. Connections to Metrolink and planned future connection to California High-Speed Rail in Palmdale are also listed in the company’s future plans. With the release of the recent draft federal environmental document needed before construction, the company hopes to begin construction on its West coast projects in 2026, with the goal of utilizing private and public dollars to fund the project.