Brightline CEO moves to leadership role to see Vegas-to-So Cal project through

Brightline has hired a new CEO as the company’s former chief executive, Michael Reininger, shifts his focus to Brightline West’s $21 billion Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail venture.

Reininger has been named managing director and a board member of Brightline West, with longtime rail industry veteran Nicolas Petrovic stepping into the CEO role for Brightline, who will now lead the company’s Florida intercity passenger rail line, which is already in operation, Brightline Holdings announced Wednesday.

“I’m energized to devote all my time and attention to Brightline West, one of the nation’s biggest privately led infrastructure investments,” Reininger said in a statement. “This is exactly the kind of bold project our country needs, and I’m confident we’ll set a new standard for how major rail projects are executed in the United States.”

As managing director, Reininger will dedicate his attention to delivering the $21 billion Brightline West project, which will connect Southern California to Las Vegas. Reininger successfully launched Brightline’s Florida operations and established the company as America’s only private intercity passenger rail service.

Sarah Watterson will continue he role as president of Brightline West amid the executive shift within the company. Bruce Snyder has been named chief financial officer of Brightline West, serving as a deputy CFO of the company.

Crews have been carrying out prep work for over a year along the Interstate 15 corridor that Brightline West is expected to run along. Also underway are an infrastructure improvement project and construction of a parking garage at the site of the company’s Southern Nevada station on Las Vegas Boulevard between Warm Springs and Blue Diamond roads.

The price of the long-discussed project jumped to $21.05 billion last year, up from the initial expected cost of $12 billion.

Brightline applied for a $6 billion loan from the federal government in early October, after receiving a $3 billion grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, and last sold a total of $2.5 billion in private activity bonds from both Nevada and California.

Heavy construction on the 218-mile Brightline West rail line is expected to kick off this year, with a projected completion set for 2029.

The line is expected to run between a Las Vegas station and a station set for Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California. Travelers looking to move between Rancho Cucamonga and Los Angeles will be able to do so via transferring to the existing Metrolink passenger rail system.

Petrovic has over 25 years of experience in various leadership positions in Europe and the Middle East, including with Eurostar, Siemens and Etihad Mobility.

“Brightline has introduced new and elevated expectations for the passenger rail industry in America, and it is an honor to lead the company’s next stage of growth,” Petrovic said in a statement.

Birghtline founder, Wes Edens, said the leadership roles within the company support the needs of both rail projects on opposite sides of the country.

“As Brightline continues to pioneer a new era in American transportation, the insights that Nicolas brings from around the globe will strengthen our operating company as it continues to grow and expand, while Mike concentrates his focus once again on implementing an unprecedented infrastructure development,” Edens said in a statement.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.