Vegas awaits decision on high-speed train funding

Friday, Sept. 29, 2000 | 11:08 a.m.

Federal administrators said Thursday that a decision could come in October on whether Las Vegas will advance to the next rung in the competition for nearly $1 billion for a high-speed train to Primm.

The California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission is competing against six other regions for the funding from the Federal Railroad Administration. The money would carry most of the cost for building a 300-mph, high-tech train between Las Vegas and Primm, with plans to extend the train line to the Los Angeles area.

The decision was originally slated to be made Sept. 30, but the the Federal Railroad Administration is still evaluating the proposals.

"We have received impressive applications from seven public-private partnerships in several states," said Jolene Molitoris, agency administrator. "We are completing our evaluation of these states' submissions, after which (Transportation Department Secretary Rodney Slater) will select one or more projects for additional federal funding."

The decision could be announced by the end of October, officials said.

Jack Libby, chairman of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission, said he doesn't know when his advocacy group will get the final word.

"We've not heard a thing from anybody," he said. "The world's full of rumors."

Libby said he hopes to get the go-ahead by Oct. 8, when he will travel to Washington, D.C., to speak to German government and industry officials. German companies have a working "mag-lev" high-speed train and are leaders in the specialized technology of the systems.

The Federal Railroad Administration decision probably won't be the final word on who gets the $950 million in federal funding. The agency is expected to winnow the list of potential cities to receive the funding from seven to two or three regions, although it could name just one.

Libby said he is confident that Las Vegas will be on the short list next month.

"I think our presentation and facts are overwhelming," he said. The cost aspect could give the Southern Nevada plan an edge, he added.

The 40-mile section from Las Vegas to Primm would cost an estimated $1.2 billion in a straight-line effort with minimal environmental impact, advocates for the train argue.

Another leading contender, a proposal to build the train in and near Pittsburgh, Pa., will cost more than $1 billion more, according to that region's train boosters.