Transportation
Brightline and Siemens Mobility Showcase Newest Trainsets for Orlando Expansion on Eve of their Travel to Florida

Brightline’s Future Modern, High-Speed Passenger Coaches Begin Rolling Off the Line at Siemens Mobility Headquarters—Symbolizing Multi-Billion Dollar Commitment to American Infrastructure
Brightline, the only provider of modern, eco-friendly high-speed rail, and Siemens Mobility, today celebrated the completion of Brightline’s newest trainsets, which will roll off the assembly line at the Siemens Mobility North American manufacturing headquarters and prepare to begin passenger operations. In the upcoming days, the newest train will depart the factory on a cross-country excursion to West Palm Beach, FL where it will be stationed in preparation for Brightline’s high-speed rail corridor expansion, set to connect Orlando to Brightline’s current route from Miami to West Palm Beach.
At the event, executives from Brightline and Siemens Mobility were joined by California Treasurer Fiona Ma to unveil the new passenger coaches and locomotives, part of the Venture trainset that is the driver of next-generation inter-city rail service in the U.S. Manufactured at Siemens Mobility solar-powered plant in Sacramento, the Venture trainsets for Brightline consist of two Charger Diesel-electric locomotives, one on each end, and four passenger coaches. The Charger Diesel-electric locomotives fulfill the EPA’s stringent Tier 4 emissions standards.
The stainless-steel coaches are made with components from more than 160 suppliers across 27 states. They are designed for luxury and comfort, featuring special ergonomic seating, contemporary communication systems and enhanced Wi-Fi. Thanks to wide aisles, wheelchair storage, and fully accessible restrooms, the Venture trainset exceeds ADA requirements from end to end.
“As the nation’s first and only private, operational high-speed rail line, Brightline’s partnership with Siemens demonstrates our company’s commitment to building both a robust domestic manufacturing sector and the future of green transportation,” said Michael Reininger, chief executive officer of Brightline Holdings. “Our partnership should serve as a powerful example of how we can break through the inertia and into an era of high-speed rail in America.”
“Brightline is a pioneer in private rail investment in the United States and we are proud to continue to grow our partnership as we ship the latest trainsets to Florida ahead of Brightline’s expansion. The Venture trainsets are a result of our collaboration and will offer a comfortable and enjoyable passenger experience that was built in Sacramento,” stated Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Mobility Rolling Stock in North America.
“The Siemens-Brightline partnership is a huge win for the state of California, bringing the future of green manufacturing and good paying jobs to our communities,” said Fiona Ma, California treasurer. “The completion of these trainsets is not only a big step towards developing high speed rail in the U.S., but also proves that California is capable of achieving tangible progress on climate and creating new manufacturing jobs today—not years from now.”
With more than 2,100 employees, Siemens Mobility’s Sacramento manufacturing facility serves as the North American Rolling Stock Manufacturing Headquarters for Siemens Mobility, an international leader in providing advanced rail transportation for systems around the world. The facility designs, engineers and manufactures across the entire spectrum of rolling stock including commuter and regional passenger trains, light rail and streetcars, locomotives, passenger coaches, and trainsets.
Construction on Brightline’s forthcoming 170-mile service extension from West Palm Beach to the Orlando International Airport is more than 60 percent complete and is on track for completion in late 2022. The project has been an economic boom for the state of Florida. In partnership with Siemens Mobility, the newest trainsets represent Brightline’s commitment to invest billions in American infrastructure, creating the country’s first and only private high-speed rail network. Brightline Florida employs more than 1,300 daily construction workers and will create more than 10,000 jobs over the construction period and the first few years of operations. In total, Brightline will generate more than $6.4 billion in economic impact in the state of Florida.
Brightline will resume its operations between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach in November. Stations in Boca Raton and Aventura are expected to open in the second half of 2022, and discussions are underway with local stakeholders regarding expansions to Disney Springs and Tampa.
Siemens Mobility and Brightline are also in discussions on supplying Brightline’s technology solutions for its future high-speed Brightline West operations. Brightline West is the most advanced and shovel-ready high-speed rail project in the nation and is poised to bring economic and environmental benefits to the region. It will utilize fully electric, zero-emission trains to connect Las Vegas and Los Angeles through multiple intercity projects.
Transportation
Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce Event to Spotlight Brightline West

Program will highlight what’s next for high-speed rail in the Inland Empire
High-Impact Event Alert
Brightline West will be featured during the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “High-Speed Rail is Headed to the Inland Empire” event on Wednesday, January 11, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Jessie Turner Community Center in Fontana, CA, which the County of San Bernardino is a title sponsor. The program will feature an update on Brightline West, including the project’s role in regional and statewide connectivity, its benefits to the community, what to expect in 2023, and how the public can stay engaged.
Featured panelists for the program are:
- Fiona Ma, Treasurer, State of California
- Ray Wolfe, Executive Director, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
- Sarah Watterson, President, Brightline West
- Edward Ornelas, Jr., President/CEO, Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Matt Burris, Deputy City Manager of Community Development, City of Rancho Cucamonga
Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America. The company currently serves Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach in Florida, with its Orlando station beginning service in 2023. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in travel, Brightline offers a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road by connecting city pairs and congested corridors that are too close to fly and too long to drive. Brightline West will build on this award-winning service by connecting Las Vegas and Southern California, with stations in Las Vegas, Victor Valley, Hesperia, and Rancho Cucamonga, and connectivity to Metrolink’s regional rail network.
“This will transform transportation in Southern California and Las Vegas for generations by providing a fast and efficient connection that gets people out of their cars, reduces traffic congestion and decreases air pollution.” -Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer
KEY FACTS:
- Expected travel time is approx. 2 ¼ hours
- Our route is 2x faster than driving
- Zero-emission, electric train sets
- Expected top speed is 180 mph
- 400,000 tons of CO2 removed annually by reducing 3 million vehicles
- Connections to Metrolink and planned future connection to California High-Speed Rail in Palmdale
- Convenient station location on the Vegas strip (I-15)
For more information and to register for the event, click here.
Transportation
Rancho Cucamonga and SBCTA Approve Sale of Property for Development of Brightline West Full-Service Transit Station

Agreement clears path for high-speed passenger rail service in the Inland Empire connecting Rancho Cucamonga, the High Desert and Las Vegas
The City of Rancho Cucamonga City Council and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) Board of Directors have approved the first step of the sale of a five-acre portion of the jointly owned property at Cucamonga Station to Brightline West. The agreement clears the path for Brightline West to develop the property at the northwest corner of Milliken Avenue and Azusa Court, and build the first high-speed rail station in the Inland Empire connecting Rancho Cucamonga, the High Desert, and Las Vegas. Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly intercity rail service in America. The company currently operates between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach in Florida and is scheduled to complete construction to the Orlando International Airport by the end of 2022.
Cucamonga Station will go through a transformation in the coming years, making it the region’s global connectivity point and destination location for everything California has to offer. Transportation modes at Cucamonga Station will provide service through high-speed rail, the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, and Omnitrans Bus Rapid Transit and local bus service, as well as serve carpool commuters. Plans are also moving forward for a sub-terranean loop to Ontario International Airport (ONT), led by SBCTA, where passengers will be transported in just a few minutes between Cucamonga Station and airport terminals. In anticipation of deploying this service, Omnitrans has already launched ONT Connect, a regular shuttle service from Cucamonga Station to the airport that operates daily every 35-60 minutes.
“This agreement is a culmination of several years of working together with our partners and is a key milestone to bring high-speed rail to the Inland Empire,” said John Gillison, City Manager for the City of Rancho Cucamonga. “Cucamonga Station will serve as a global connectivity anchor within the newly branded HART District.”
“We are pleased to take this next important step forward in bringing enhanced transit connectivity to one of the fastest-growing population and economic centers in the country,” said Art Bishop, President of the SBCTA Board of Directors and Mayor Pro Tem of the Town of Apple Valley.
The Cucamonga Station will be strategically located within the HART District – a new transit-oriented, mixed‑use, housing, retail and commercial district that elevates the area into a walkable, culture-rich experience. Located within the area of Haven Avenue, Arrow Route, Rochester Avenue and the Transit station in Rancho Cucamonga, it will serve as a crossroads of food, travel, culture and commerce. The HART District is poised to be the next key economic catalyst in the region. To learn more, go to www.TheHartDistrict.com. The City of Rancho Cucamonga, Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau (GOCVB), Omnitrans, the Ontario International Airport, and San Bernardino County have established a joint effort for the project development and outreach programs. Additional project partners will come onboard as the project continues to move forward through the development process.

The Brightline West Cucamonga Station in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, will be home to the first high-speed passenger rail service in the Inland Empire connecting Rancho Cucamonga, the High Desert and Las Vegas.
Key Points to this Important Regional Project:
- Third-party analysis by Beacon Economics, a well-respected Inland Empire-based firm
- Construction is estimated to take three to four years, with ongoing operations beginning in 2026-27
- More than $300 million dollars in construction spending in Rancho Cucamonga and more than $5 billion dollars in construction spending in San Bernardino County during the next four years
- Estimated to support nearly 11,000 jobs per year across San Bernardino County and more than 700 jobs per year in Rancho Cucamonga during construction
- Rancho Cucamonga can expect to receive additional indirect spending in the local economy from the jobs generated particularly during the construction phase
- Much of the new jobs will be in the construction, architecture and engineering fields
- The City could receive an additional $1 million dollars per year in property tax/sales tax revenues during the construction (3-4 years)
- Ongoing operational revenues of another $500,000 per year for Rancho Cucamonga could be possible from local sales and property tax once the station is in full operation
- Project will stimulate housing demand throughout San Bernardino County during construction and add tens of thousands of jobs (direct and indirect) to the countywide employment base
- Countywide sales tax should increase near $100 million dollars and more than $70 million dollars from property tax during construction
- Long-term operational impacts countywide will be in excess of $6 million dollars from property/sales tax
Transportation
CA Inland Empire District Export Council (CIEDEC) to Present Cal-Mex Aerospace Expo on Sept. 22

The California Inland Empire District Export Council (CIEDEC), a diverse group of volunteer trade professionals dedicated to helping develop export sales and thus contributing to the national export program, will hold its inaugural Cal-Mex Aerospace Expo on Sept. 22 at the San Bernardino International Airport (SBD).
The expo’s goal is to raise awareness and connect Inland Empire aerospace & defense (A&D) and space manufacturers with the supplier needs of more than 100 companies in the nearby Aerospace Cluster of Baja California, the largest in Mexico. Companies located in Mexicali and Tijuana, Baja California, are just 2.5 to 3.5 hours from companies in the Inland Empire. Due to geographic proximity and the demand for speed to market, Mexico’s nearby aerospace sectors can provide expanding sales opportunities for Inland Empire A&D manufacturers interested in exporting their products, components, machinery, and services.
“CIEDEC is most pleased to organize this strategic collaboration between the Southern California and Baja aerospace industries,” CIEDEC Chairman Bob Spence said. “This is a necessary linchpin in regional cooperation, which is necessitated by our new world order.”
Aerospace industry experts will share updates on trends and policy; export control/International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); AS9100 certification and upcoming changes; cybersecurity essentials; drone pilot training; an overview of the aerospace sector in Mexico; aerospace export opportunities in Mexico; doing business in Mexico; and a B2B session.
“Aerospace is one of the largest and critically important sectors for our regional and national economies, and we are thrilled to support the District Export Council’s efforts to promote the growth of U.S. aerospace manufactures through cross-border sales opportunities in Mexico,” said Eduard Roytberg, director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service office in Ontario, California. The Commercial Service is part of the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration.
The speakers will include Tomás Sibaja, president of the Aerospace Cluster of Baja California, Mexico; Senior Commercial Specialist Silvia Cardenas (U.S. Embassy in Mexico City) and Senior International Trade Specialist Erica Ramirez (U.S. Commercial Service in the Inland Empire, California); David Graham, vice president of Aircraft & Component Maintenance at Unical 145/Unical MRO; and Kimberly Benson, president and CEO of Zenaida Global and an administrator for the UAS Center at SBD.
“The Inland Empire and Baja California share common interests and values in this sector,” Sibaja said. “The timing is now to engage our companies in business encounters and venture opportunities.”
SBD is the title sponsor for the expo, supported by the U.S. Commercial Service and the Aerospace Cluster of Baja California. Additional sponsors include IAPMO SCB, Alliance Buyers Group, EMG Global Business Solutions, Inc., Tablemation Solutions, ExIm20/20 Group, and ERS Consulting Services.
“SBD International Airport is pleased to support our aircraft maintenance and aerospace partners around the world,” SBD CEO Michael Burrows said. “This vital industry supports all business lines at SBD and airports across the globe.”
Early-bird tickets are $25 if purchased by Aug. 31, and $35 starting Sept. 1. For tickets, sponsorship, and exhibition opportunities, and more information about the event, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cal-mex aerospace-expo-2022-tickets-376792445347. To learn more about CIEDEC, visit ciedec.org.
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