High-Speed European Train Arrives in Las Vegas

Friday, July 12, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Amtrak is participating in a two-year tour with the Danish-built Flexliner, which has been operating in Europe since 1990, and hopes to attract partners into a new Las Vegas-Los Angeles passenger route. The Flexliner operates up to 112 mph, but will not exceed 90 mph during its North American tour.

"The Flexliner is one of several types of high-tech rail equipment that could be purchased for American regional passenger rail service if Amtrak had a dependable level of capital resources that a dedicated trust fund would deliver," said Thomas M. Downs, Amtrak president, chairman and chief executive officer.

Downs was referring to pending legislation that would establish a dedicated capital trust fund for Amtrak to invest in new equipment and modernize its system.

Amtrak hopes to develop and encourage travel along the Las Vegas-Los Angeles route and the Oakland, Calif.-Reno, Nev., route with faster, more frequent train service.

The Flexliner will operate between Los Angeles and San Diego from July 21 through Aug. 1 and will be on display at various Amtrak stations. After the demonstration in California it will be used by VIA Rail Canada for five months before returning to the United States.

Amtrak, in cooperation with international manufacturer Adrantz, will demonstrate the train upon request in various regions of the United States and promote its use for short-to-medium-distance intercity markets.

"The Adtranz Flexliner is the perfect solution to the increasingly complicated challenges of regional transportation," said Raymond T. Betler, president of Adtranz North America based in Pittsburgh.

"The Flexliner is the most modern diesel train available in revenue service today that can be adapted for a multitude of uses and situations," Betler said.

The Flexliner is self-propelled and does not require a locomotive. The trains are operated by qualified engineers who are positioned at either end of the bi-directional train in a control booth.

The Flexliner is manufactured with either diesel or electric operating capability. The tour trainset is a diesel multiple unit which includes two three-car Flexliner trains. It has the ability to separate parts of the train and operate as multiple trains.

The train features public cellular phones, outlets for laptop computers and at-seat meal service.

The Las Vegas-Los Angeles train could offer live poker at both ends of the non-stop route and slots and other table games when it crosses into Nevada, officials have said.

Currently, there are three Amtrak runs a week from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, the final leg of the Desert Wind's Chicago-to-Southern California route.

It costs Las Vegas-to-Los Angeles commuters $74 for a one-way ticket and anywhere from $77 to $148 for a round-trip ticket depending on available discounts.