By Martin Z. Braun, Bloomberg

The price tag for building a private high-speed passenger railroad from Southern California to Las Vegas has swelled by nearly 35%.

Brightline West’s 218-mile (351 kilometer) railroad will now cost $21.5 billion, according to the US Department of Transportation’s website, which lists the company as a loan applicant. The initial projection was $16 billion. The higher cost has led the Fortress Investment Group-backed company to seek a $6 billion loan from the Trump administration, according to the site.

Last month, Brightline’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Reininger said construction costs were increasing due to rising labor and material costs, in part caused by high demand due to the proliferation of data centers, power plants and transportation projects.

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