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During a press conference held yesterday at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) voice their support for the DesertXpress high-speed rail project, according to a press release issued today by the American High Speed Rail Alliance (AHSRA).

The project — which calls for building a grade-separated high-speed rail corridor along Interstate 15 between southern California and Las Vegas — is expected to generate more than 30,000 jobs in Nevada. During the past seven years, DesertXpress Enterprises L.L.C., a group of Nevada and California companies, have invested more than $25 million to develop DesertXpress.

DesertXpress officials intend to apply for a federal Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan as part of their financing package. Officials expect to cover operating and capital costs from system revenue, due to the “unique economics of the Las Vegas-southern California corridor,” according to AHSRA.

The Federal Railroad Administration recently issued a supplemental draft environmental impact statement for the project after DesertXpress made modifications to the alignment alternatives addressed in the draft EIS issued last year. The draft EIS will require two additional public hearings.