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StumbleHigh-speed rail proving ground proposed in North Las Vegas
Researchers want facility to study, test next-generation rail systems
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 | 9:07 a.m.
Sun Archives
- Shanghai’s maglev: Flying with both feet on the ground (11-13-2009)
- Backers of less traditional high-speed projects air plans (10-20-2009)
- Analysts aboard for rail hub (10-8-2009)
- Millions for maglev: So, where’s the money? (9-24-2009)
- Transportation secretary: Gibbons 'not accurate' in noting maglev earmark (9-23-2009)
- Maglev money sparks a Gibbons-Reid quarrel (9-18-2009)
- High-speed rail competition heats up with new funding (9-16-2009)
- Beyond Victorville: Coloradans covet high-speed rail, too (9-14-2009)
- DesertXpress train aiming for March construction start (9-1-2009)
- Forum to address DesertXpress train proposal (6-28-2009)
- High-speed train plan gets notice in D.C. (6-24-2009)
Sun Coverage
Organizations that have worked to educate Southern Nevadans about various high-speed rail systems want to build a research and development center and proving grounds in North Las Vegas that could show transit systems in action side by side.
Representatives of UNLV’s Transportation Research Center and the Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce have approached the Nevada System of Higher Education and the City of North Las Vegas about developing a high-speed rail proving ground on public land north of the Bruce Woodbury Beltway.
The proposal comes as UNLV and the Ward 5 Chamber plan the organizations’ fourth high-speed rail forum Monday at UNLV’s Science and Engineering Building auditorium. Richard Lawless and Tsutomu Morimura, representatives of Japanese high-speed rail interests, will make presentations at the event beginning at 6 p.m.
Lawless is president and CEO of U.S.-Japan High-Speed Rail while Morimura represents the JR Central Railway Co., which operates Japan’s famed Shinkansen “bullet train.” The two speakers will take questions from the public and from a panel that includes two UNLV professors and Assemblyman Harvey Munford.
UNLV and the Ward 5 Chamber – which backs the rail forums because of the potential for future jobs – previously played host to forums by DesertXpress, a traditional high-speed rail project expected to begin construction on a Las Vegas-to-Southern California line next year; American Magline Group, which is working to develop a magnetic-levitation train between Las Vegas and Southern California; and three unconventional mass transportation systems.
The Central Japan Railway operates both conventional rail and maglev systems and is angling to sell Japanese technology to U.S. operators developing rail systems.
And that’s where the North Las Vegas research center and proving ground comes in.
Munford, Stan Washington, who heads GreenTech Nevada, a Ward 5 Chamber member, and Dr. Ken Peck of UNLV’s Transportation Research Center conferred with Nevada System of Higher Education officials and made a presentation last week to the North Las Vegas City Council.
Proving ground backers say Nevada could take the lead in positioning itself to be a neutral host to emerging high-speed rail proposals.
Developing a proving ground in Nevada would give rail technology developers an opportunity to test their products in a desert climate, the proposal’s backers say.
The proposal is in the early planning stages and cost estimates haven’t been reached.
Organizers envision the facility would be coordinated by UNLV, the University of Nevada, Reno, the College of Southern Nevada and the Desert Research Institute.
The group wants to develop the testing ground at a time when high-speed rail technology is rapidly changing and next-generation systems are being introduced. They also want to move quickly because President Obama says high-speed mass transportation is a priority for his administration.
Organizers say a test facility could create hundreds of jobs, help put Nevada in a leadership position for mass transportation research and boost the tourism industry because thousands of people would travel to Southern Nevada to see train systems demonstrated.
Two companies already have expressed interest in installing test tracks at a North Las Vegas facility if it is built.
Frank Randak, president of AVT SolaTrek, a car-shuttling freeway-decluttering mass transportation system using maglev technology, and Robert Pulliam, president of Texas-based Tubular Rail Inc., an unconventional rail system with vehicles that pass through a series of O-rings, said they would be interested in building test tracks if a center is developed.
SolaTrek and Tubular Rail made presentations at UNLV rail forums in October.
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put it closer in, maybe at an empty car dealership facility, and make it a tourist attraction/R&D center.
Oh, get on with it!
Dump the losing Desert Express plan and build the magnetic-levitation train between Las Vegas and Southern California. Done.
But, nooooooo.
As long as the greedy fingers of Sig Rogich are ready to profit from the Desert Express he will shove that entry down our throats. Despite the fact that the Desert Express runs at speeds slower (you could make it by car in less time), despite the fact it does not run into Orange County...nope....Victorville. Oh, boy, lovely Victorville. How many of you have ever vacationed in Victorville? No one. It's an arm pit hours away from Orange County and Los Angeles.
This is Sig Rogich's plan, he loves the Desert Espress. Rogich, the same man that brought our state it's current Governor.... Jim Gibbons. And never forget that while Gibbons remains the worst thing the state of Nevada has ever seen, Rogich made a small fortune off Gibbons being elected.
It's all about money for Rogich. It is NEVER about what is best for the future, only his future. It is NEVER about what is best for people, only himself.
There's a place for people like you, Sig. It's in the afterlife. Don't look for it by looking up into the sky. Look down.
Let them build what they want. Let them pay for it. It will never merit one cent of my tax dollars. These people are idiots but if they do it on their own dime, I could care less.
I don't care which system they go with, they just need to GET ON WITH IT NOW !! We need this like the body needs water and air, this is the ANSWER! the ability to move large numbers of folks from LA to Vegas in an hour and a half will breath a new kind of life to us here like NEVER before! Tourism, Industry, business, commuters, it will be fantastic! and quite possibly some day rival the northeast sector in productivity and commerce. ! You all can tell that I'm ALL IN FOR THE HIGH SPEED TRAIN NOW !!!!
The main problem with these high speed links is the location of the socal/LA terminus. If they could bring the high speed lines as far as the 605/210 junction a high speed train might be a viable option.
This won't help Vegas. Without meaningful rescinding of the tax increases of the last 3 sessions to bring back business, you can turn Vegas over - it's done.
If this thing IS going to be built, it should be the maglev train - not another 100+ year old choo choo technology. Also, it should be done with PRIVATE money, not public money.
I wish they would finsh the monorail first in Las Vegas.
The monorail needs to go from the airport, strip hotels and downtown.This would take care of alot of air pollution in Vegas.
And I suppose our Federal, State, County and sales tax money will be spent to build this demonstration site.
What will I, as a taxpayer, receive out of that expenditure?
Nothing.
Frankly, I am sick of "economic stimulus projects" which are only boondoggles for the benefit of the well connected and subsidies for government agencies with unionized employees who want to "hog the jobs for themselves".
An example I've given before: Clark County has only 1 or 2 open full time positions available to "newcomers". However, if you are a member of one of the County Employees' unions, there are 14 pages of job openings for transfers and promotions available to existing union members. With this state's very high unemployment rate, that situation is sickening.
wolf85023 : Dude ! if they build the high speed train, we won't need the monorail airport to downtown link! The airport will not be as busy, now that there will be terra firma option from LA straight to downtown!!!
OMG. You people keep whining about your tax dollars as if you are being raped like the residents of California. Get over yourselves. You are lucky enough to live in a state without state or local income tax. You make more money here than most states, and that isn't including the state and local income tax breaks. Stop bitching and just deal with it.
Doc_Holliday : You tell them....They have NO idea what it is to pay real taxes..
cynicalobserver-I don't work for the County, but it's called "promote from within". You start out at an entry level job, gain an understanding of the organization while improving your skills. Then you apply for better jobs within the organization. It increases morale while giving supervisors a track record to judge the applicant on. You pay your dues and work for the better jobs/pay. Sheese, talk about bitching about everything.
A small unknown Company has plans to run a passenger train via conventional rail (the existing tracks) between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This will probably be the first passenger rail service between the two areas. See at - http://www.vegasxpress.com
the reactionaries creep out of the cave they live in and whine about the entire high speed rail concept. its a good idea that is long overdue, not only in vegas, but every where in the usa. i dont know ANYBODY who enjoys the airport experience. get the ball rolling now before those awful republicans get re-elected and start another useless war.
The United States simply isn't really concerned about high speed rail, and building a demonstration facility near North Las Vegas is a huge waste of money. The TransRapid maglev has been running near Hamburg, Germany for years, along with other maglevs in Japan and China. Conventional stel rail high speed rail has been running in Japan for 45 years, for nearly 30 years in France and for decades in Germany and other countries. As for the need to demonstrate high speed rail in a desert environment, high speed rail has been running in Andalucia at 186mph every hour on the hour for nearly nearly 20 years. Siemens and Alstom, along with Japanese companies have proven systems and reinventing the wheel is sheer waste. Before the Euro 4 billion LGV Est opened in 2007, the line was used for testing, including a 574kmh run by a specially modified train. With the multiple 4000 foot passes between LA and Vegas, along with higher construction costs, it seems logical to build high speed rail wher topography is flat and construction costs are lower, like the Texas triangle or the Chicago hub.
Forget about the rest of the effen world, we are talking Las Vegas Mojave corridor to Los Angeles (and San Diego) and eventually Phoenix (Sonoran Corridor) . The great southwestern cities MUST be linked by rail for the unity and survival of the entire southwestern United States. This is not a question of IF but WHEN !!!
mrability, is that a threat? What a joke.
The only reason people will leave here is a shortage of water or a terrorist attack. Otherwise, it'll thrive and well, it'll be a much better place without you.
mrability : I fail to see how a high speed rail connection from LA to LV could mean fewer people here? you can't even spell the word loser. What does that make you?
You guys need to go with desert Xpress and here's why. We are building that technology in cali as well and if you make yours compatible with ours, both systems can share track, destinations and passenger revenue. Its a benefit to you if you can capture more tourism from northern california for instance, I work for the railroad and can tell you there is a large demand for rail from sf to lv. if you build an incompatible system such as magleve you will find that it is a) extememly expensive to build, extremely expensive to operate, and you will tie your hands from any future expansion. Build compatible tech, and you will link to the cali system and all its revenue potential.
High speed rail isn't worth it: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_...
I agree with SFNATIVE 100 percent. Of the two options, the DesertXpress is better because of its potential to tie into the California high speed rail system, which will connect all of the major cities of California, not just Anaheim.
And why Anaheim? If I live in LA, I am not driving to Anaheim just to get on a train. I could just as easily drive to either LAX or Burbank and take a quick flight. No one living east of the 710 would want to hassle with 1-2 hours of additional traffic just so they can take a train over a plane. So essentially the Mag-Lev option would only be able to market itself to Long Beach, South Los Angeles, Compton, and Orange County. Without the LA consumer it does not work. Its a dumb plan.
Forget the research center, at least if it requires any public subsidy. The high speed rail & maglev technologies are not new. It'll be a waste of money.
As for which system, go with whichever one best ties into the CA market. Routing & connections, along with speed, are more critical than the technology.
So because the residents of California can't make sound decisions regarding train systems, we here in Nevada should suffer along with you?
In order for a train of any type to be profitable it must be cheaper than a plane or faster than a plane. A train that can connect between LA and LV in 2 hours would become a viable transportation option for many people in LA, including those who fly to LA on business but might have time enough to go to LV.
Concerning San Diego and San Francisco, major train transportation should be of the same technology as what is used to connect LA and LV. You could have a central hub in LA, connecting San Diego and San Fran complete with car rentals on site. The terminal in LV would also have car rental companies, allowing people to move freely and easily from the train to their destination.
I think T. Boone Pickens should stop running his mouth in regards to this country needing to break its dependence on foreign oil and use his money to help build the railways. Also included should be Bill Gates, The Oracle of Omaha and many others who have made their fortunes thanks to the consumers of this country. GE comes to mind too, even though they would illegally profit due to them being in bed with the White House.
I agree, stop talking abot it and just build the damn thing already! I fly and drive to vegas depending on the price of flying. If i could i would fly to vegas all the time start drinking on the plane and get there in 50 minutes but sometimes the price roundtrip for two is over 300 so its makes more sense to drive but we hate the 4 hour drive and we go to vegas to drink and gamble so when one of us needs to drive we cant drink. Build the train make it cheaper then flying and im there!
When considering travel times from northern california for instance, on compatible technology, Both DX trains and CHSR trains can have track agreements allowing then to operate over the other's track , as is done around the world now, allowing for single seat rides from sac-lvs sfc-lvs fno-lvs etc and a trip from sac or sfc to lvs from the heart of SF dowtown to the the heart of the strip would take 3 hours compared to an hour and 40 minutes, plus one hour check in, plus trips to and from airports, which results in not only a longer travel time for flying, but a far less comfortable travel experience, as coach class on a train offers more comfort and amenities, than even first class on a plane.
Use compatible technology. There is a reason that countries all over the world, who are far ahead of the US in transportation infrastructure, have consistently chosen stand hsr tech over maglev.
building a high speed rail system benefits everyone and has immediate impact; creation of jobs, less traffic on the highways, and it makes it easier and cheaper to get to vegas. obama will give you the money so whats the problem? tell those hill rods and red necks its the 21st century so pull their heads outta their asses.
You might think there are only two possible considerations for the high speed train from So. Cal. to Vegas, the Desert Xpress and MagLev, but there are several other innovative choices to consider. We moved from the horse and buggy a hundred years ago, the Wright brothers put us in the air, but look at today's planes, other people like Edison, Marconi and Tesla took us out of the dark and provided telecommunications. Who are we to deny innovation that may save the day and return prosperity to the Nation. How foolish it would be not to explore all options just as we are doing in space now. Its not about today, its about tomorrow, its not about you, its about your children, its not about corporations, its about America. With the amount of money to be spent on the future of transportation its not just high speed trains, its the environment, the depletion of our natural resources and the future of generations to come. We better get it right the first time.
Little has been said about ASBE, yet it has all the futuristic objectives stated by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. It meets the increased demands of vehicles, trains & transportation, with solar, wind & water. The generation & transmision of electricity. We must prepare now or the future of generations to come will be jeopardized.
I have seen the ASBE web site at www.asbenow.com it achieves each objective of the Obama administration. Should we limited by two very expensive choices, that provide one fifth of the benefits?
It's of interest that the ASBE approach has a levitated design without the use of rails or magnetics, therefore less costs, all electric, using an air cushion system very much like a helicopter or hovercraft it uses aerodynamics to attain weightlessness.
Since there is no resistance or friction, it allows the transporter to move at high speeds while using very little electrical energy. Rather than just a high speed train it incorporates other features like an electrified highway for electric vehicles, four new lanes of highway, the generation of its own electricity by solar, wind and hydro, a water collection and piping system to storage reservoirs. It also is designed to tie East to West along two 1500 mile routes, that interface with high speed rail interchanges proposed by the administration along the East and West Coasts. It would seem with all the inovations and components suggested by the concept, that it would still be less expensive to build and operate, while offering much more. It's also likely that there are more forms of revenue, more jobs, less complications and greater potential than any of the other proposals. If it were a part of the National Emergency Defense System as suggested, we maybe better prepared for another Katerina or 9-11. Having compared all the other systems this one stands out apparently offering more for less, with savings, security and speed as a bonus. lets hear more. Blue Man