INLAND EMPIRE – (INT) – Initial funding for a 144-mile rail line linking the Los Angeles Basin and the Coachella Valley is trickling in.

Congressman Ken Calvert has announced $5 million for environmental studies bringing the total funding to $40 million. The total project carries a price tag of 1-billion dollars.

The rail line would make use of existing track with an end-to-end trip time of three hours and 15 minutes.

Plans call for the construction of up to five new stations within Riverside County, utilizing an existing stop in Palm Springs.

There are estimates that that construction could begin within 10 years of completing the environmental study.

Story Date: September 25, 2023