The DesertXpress project cleared a major hurdle last week when the Federal Railroad Administration released its final environmental impact statement.

"DesertXpress promises travel times of 85 minutes between Victorville, California, and Las Vegas," LaHood wrote on his blog. "This cuts the existing drive -- three hours under the best conditions and nearly twice as long in traffic -- in half. Sitting in congestion for four, five, and even six hours along I-15 is especially brutal for travelers paying sky-high gas prices."

Reid said at Friday's announcement -- attended by Nevada Transportation Director Susan Martinovich, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials -- that clearing the environmental review process for the privately funded $6 billion high-speed-rail line brings Nevada and California one small step away from tens of thousands of new jobs through construction and by boosting tourism.

"This line will connect tourists from southern California to our state's great attractions like the Las Vegas Strip and the Hoover Dam," he said.

Project supporters contend that DesertXpress trains will give travelers a safe, convenient transportation alternative to the notoriously congested Interstate 15.

Andrew Mack, chief operating officer of DesertXpress Enterprises, explained how important completion of the environmental impact statement is.

"It's really significant for DesertXpress because it means that the six years of hard work by the federal and state agencies has reached a conclusion and it sets the path forward for final permitting so we can start the project," Mack told the Las Vegas Sun.

Mack said he's still uncertain when the company will be able to break ground for the project, but Reid said during the press conference that he was hopeful that it would occur before the end of the year.

DesertXpress has applied for a $4.9 billion loan through the Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program, which provides direct federal loans and loan guarantees to finance development of railroad infrastructure.