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StumbleAnother train enters fray for L.A. to LV route
Developer wants federal money to conduct study
Sunday, June 6, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Books and articles on high-speed trains cover the proposals for a line between Southern California and Las Vegas. Five proposals are in various stages, but none has broken ground yet.
TO RECAP
Five existing Nevada-Southern California transportation proposals:
DesertXpress: A traditional steel-wheel-on-rails high-speed train between Las Vegas and Victorville, Calif., proposed by Las Vegas-based DesertXpress Enterprises. The company says ground will be broken later this year and that service would begin by 2014. The company also has proposed a 50-mile extension from Victorville to Palmdale, Calif., that would link the train to the planned California High-Speed Rail system.
American Magline Group: A magnetic-levitation system proposed to link Las Vegas with Anaheim, Calif. Supported by the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission and the Nevada Transportation Department, federal funding for environmental reports and engineering for the first 40 miles of the project between Las Vegas and Primm has been delayed by government officials.
Las Vegas Railway Express X Train: A traditional rail proposal using refurbished trains and cars on a line managed by the Union Pacific Railway between Las Vegas and Union Station in Los Angeles.
D2 Holdings’ Z-Train: A proposal similar to the X Train.
Genesis High Speed Rail America’s Desert Lighting: A high-speed rail proposal on dedicated tracks that incorporates a T-shaped line that links Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles along Interstate 10 and U.S. 95. Genesis is seeking federal funds to study the route and make necessary environmental assessments.
Sun Archives
- Train plans sound similar? One side says too similar (5-10-2010)
- It’s not as fast, but this train could hit the rails sooner (4-14-2010)
- High-speed rail: Will it be worth the wait for Nevadans? (3-31-2010)
- Work on high-speed rail set to begin this year (3-25-2010)
- DesertXpress prepared to build; maglev, monorail extension on hold (1-15-2010)
- A boost for DesertXpress (7-3-2009)
- Path clears for federal support of fast train to California (7-2-2009)
- High-speed train plan gets notice in D.C. (6-24-2009)
- Public or private, rail line will need major subsidies from government (6-14-2009)
- Maglev or DesertXPress, this could be your new ride (6-14-2009)
- Trade-offs between technologies include speed, cost (6-14-2009)
- Maglev train to press on without Reid (6-10-2009)
- Reid sides with Desert Xpress fast train option (6-9-2009)
- State sends no representative to talk on high-speed trains (6-5-2009)
- Obama outlines vision for high-speed rail network (4-16-2009)
- 8 states seek stimulus money for high-speed rail (4-15-2009)
- No waste in rail dream (3-5-2009)
- Economic crisis an opportunity to be greener (3-1-2009)
- Vegas, Midwest seek the $8 billion for fast trains (2-23-2009)
- Calif. bond would launch bullet train project (9-26-2008)
Sun Coverage
There’s a new player in the Great Race to provide rail service between Las Vegas and Southern California. It has an interesting route proposal going for it, but it’s late to the party for money.
Genesis High Speed Rail America LLC wants to build the Desert Lightning, a high-speed train that would use steel-wheel-on-rails technology with 200 mph electric locomotion.
That technology puts it in the same category with what is widely considered the front-runner in the race, DesertXpress, which was reported ready to break ground on its Las Vegas-to-Victorville, Calif., track this year.
Like DesertXpress, Desert Lightning would use a dedicated line. But Desert Lightning veers in a different direction with a route proposal that makes sense for the long haul.
Duane Wilder, chairman of Genesis, proposes a T-shaped route going south from Las Vegas, parallel to the Colorado River and U.S. 95, just east of Mojave National Preserve. Near Interstate 10, the line would intersect with an east-west line running parallel to the freeway between Los Angeles and Phoenix.
In theory, then, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas would be connected by high-speed rail, putting the three cities within an hour and a half of one another — a great benefit to Las Vegans and tourists. The route could capture the Palm Springs, Calif., market, which includes wealthy retirees who fit nicely in the gaming industry’s demographic sweet spot.
Where the plan falls flat is that Wilder and his impressive list of consultants and partners want federal money to study the proposal. He said about $35 million would cover the study’s cost.
Wilder said he expects the train would be built as a public-private partnership. He said the study would determine whether it would be best to use proven European technology or proven Japanese technology.
“I’ve ridden on both of the trains,” Wilder said. “I can’t say which one is better than the other and part of it could depend on the terrain, so the exact route also would be studied.”
He wants to focus on connecting airports as well as cities.
Wilder thinks the United States isn’t ready for maglev, and he doesn’t think it’s a proven technology, even though it has been successfully running in China for years.
Wilder said once a study is completed, investors would get onboard with what could be a $35 billion to $40 billion project.
Although Wilder says it’s never too late to look at a good project, Genesis and Desert Lightning may be left at the station.
Representatives haven’t spelled out details of their construction financing. And DesertXpress — which some wags are calling “the train to nowhere” — says it has investors ready to build the line and buy the train sets. Although skeptics won’t be convinced it’s going to happen until they see the golden spike driven into the ground and trains coming from both directions, it looks like the project is real.
If Desert Lightning succeeds in getting the study money — and it should ask the folks at the American Magline Group, backers of a Las Vegas-Los Angeles maglev proposal, about how easy it is to get a check from the government — it would still take years to get the environmental permits and engineering completed.
The maglev group is still awaiting funding that was promised years ago. Even prodding from Gov. Jim Gibbons and Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto last month produced no results.
The U.S. Transportation Department recently outlined where its first round of $80 million in high-speed rail grants would go, and there’s nothing earmarked for Nevada or Southern California.
The biggest chunk of the money is going to benefit one of Las Vegas’ biggest tourism rivals, Orlando, Fla. The department is giving $66.6 million for preliminary engineering for a high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando.
Another $6.2 million is going to California’s Capitol Corridor, the link between San Francisco and Sacramento. And $5.7 million has been allocated for environmental assessments for new stations for a route between Milwaukee and Madison, Wis. New York and New Mexico also got grants.
Further down the scorecard are the competing low-speed train proposals: cruise ships on rails making 5 1/2-hour trips between L.A. and Las Vegas on Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
Moving passenger trains on that line has been problematic because Union Pacific gives priority to moving freight. Amtrak was often delayed when it ran the Desert Wind from L.A. to Salt Lake City via Las Vegas in the 1980s and 1990s. Amtrak abandoned the route in 1998.
The two new players planning low-speed train excursions are Las Vegas Railway Express’ X Train, which plans to shuttle passengers to Las Vegas in a party atmosphere aboard double-deck passenger cars expected to be pulled at a maximum speed of about 80 mph, and D2 Holdings’ Z-Train, a nearly identical proposal to the X Train that company leaders say was hijacked by their rivals.
Lawsuits between X Train and Z-Train have been resolved and both companies have agreed to quit making defamatory comments against each other, said Bruce Richardson, Z-Train spokesman.
“Everybody is going to move forward and right now, it looks like it’s going to be up to the Union Pacific as to what happens next,” Richardson said. “Now that all the litigation is aside, we have recontacted Union Pacific and said, ‘Let’s sit down and talk.’ We’re waiting for a response from them.”
Union Pacific hasn’t commented on the status of its negotiations with X Train or Z-Train, so it’s unclear where using those tracks stands.
So the scorecard shows two low-speed excursion trains in a holding pattern and three high-speed proposals in various stages of development, one of them with a superior route structure (Desert Lightning), one with superior technology (maglev) and one with superior financing at the ready (DesertXpress).
And for the time being, potential customers are still waiting for any train to come in.
A version of this story appears in this week’s In Business Las Vegas, a sister publication of the Sun.
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Come on...Build something already!!!At least these guys eye's are a little more open to other markets(Phoenix,LA and Palm Springs}and complimenting the airports.There is no reason why someone in LA connot leave their car in LA and take a train to vegas.but make it so the train ends at McCarran with direct connections to the Monorail and RTC...
I guess the people in Palm Springs don't like the 6 or 7 casinos in their area?
It does make a point though, CA, AZ and BM and TX have existing Rail Service, I think the line is more down by I8 in the Arizona area, people have to go 15 miles south of Phoenix to get on the train in the small town of "Maricopa" I believe.
Pick a line and start selling bonds. Monorail was a good investment.
From one of the leading countries of public transportation systems, I can only approve this idea. It's especially good for people going to Vegas just for 2 or 3 days, staying at a property on the Strip without the need of a car in town. Longterm visitors , international travellers, of course, excluded.
The advantages can only be multifold, as there are listed a few below:
- less traffic on I-15, especially on the weekends, respectively, not so much increasing traffic in the future
- less traffic pie-ups on the Strip
- during the construction period, lots of jobs would be created. Later on, new jobs would be offered consistently
Such a train system takes years to complete, so what's the waiting? The airline industry is in trouble and keeps grinding out extra profit wherever possible, so why not investing in something that has a future? It would definetely be a great additional asset to the Vegas tourism industry and be a great outlook into a green future.
From Switzerland
(was my coment bor-us-ing again?????)
Imagine, such a train system could be powered by solar energy in the future. High efficiency solar panels and super lithium batteries could make this happen. Or, even better, an electric train system , powered by solar energy which is available in the desert.
Mr. Wilder does not inspire confidence in his railroading expertise if he needs 35 million taxpayer dollars to tell him which is the better imported technology. Why doesn't he ask the French or Japanese Government to give him the money. It is also doubtful if he understands or has investigated the grades along I-10 and how they would impact his plan. The inclusion of the Phoenix market was proposed by Tubular Rail, www.tubularrail.com in October '09 at the High Speed Forum hosted by the UNLV. However, the proper alignment goes through 29 Palms not Palm Springs. Hopefully the reporter will review his notes from the event and give credit accordingly.
Robert Pulliam
Tubular Rail Inc.
How do you spell S C A M ? They want $35M to do a "study." And they finish the "study" and no train. How do I jump on this "train?"
Where has this proposal been? More studies and we still don't have anything. Victorville to Vegas makes no sense. Why drive to Victorville and then ride the train. You are less than 3 hours away when you get to Victorville and who will want to park and ride from there? The rest of the world has be running the bullet trains for decades and all that gets done here is millions of dollars spent on studies.
Listen up,gather 'round people.....I have a bridge to sell ya !!
Is it just me or do I see alot of money being put out to study this train proposals and very little in return. Wasn't Las Vegas connected by train before and why did that stop? Was Amtrack part of that connection and they lost support from the Federal Government because its ridership was too low. If the train is the next great thing for our future, then why did it go bust when the airplane was invented. Yea the train works in China, yea it works in Europe but hey folks last time I looked this isn't China and this isn't Europe. Just look at the Monolift if you want an example; a train cannot bring in enough money to support its operations and support the corruption. Because we all know if you live in Las Vegas, corruption is part of doing business and you have to put it down as a office expense.
Snap back to reality people. People like cars! The car gives independance, freedom and the ability to go where you want when you want. No one wants to take a train here and then rent a car when they could have driven in their own car. Do you think someone that can afford to stay at the Wynn will be at the mercy of some taxi? Get a grip. This town (and the United States) was designed around the use of motor vehicles. Look what happened to the monorail...
Pretty much, jat3714. As tends to be the case, something about all this stalling smells fishy. Note that a lot of the commentary from officials and executives alike lacks any real meat. They're just trying to ramble and lolligag their way to more money. Actually servicing those who already offer hopeful support is secondary.
The USA built the worlds first transcontinental railroad in 6 year. It was over 140 years ago thru and around mountainous terrain. It is said to be one of our greatest achievements of the century.
In the 1930's-1950's the US has been setting different rail speed records. Now we are at the bottom of the list for high speed rail.
The USA is #20 on a list of fastest scheduled train, average speed 161 km/hr. #1 is China at 313 km/hr. Also ahead of us is South Korea, Taiwan, Spain, Portugal, etc.
Other proposed maglev trains:
Iran 950 KM
Japan, Tokyo
Venezuela
China 235 KM
India
Indonesia
United States, Union Pacific freight in California
USA, Seattle-Vancouver
USA, Baltimore-Washington D.C.
USA, Pennsylvania
USA, Atlanta
Seems that there is a lot of talk and hot air about putting in speed trains but no action.
Construct all the railroads you want, but without my tax money.
C'mon. We should not pay taxes for private("-public") companies to make unprofitable business. You know why there are trains in Europe? Not because they are profitable, but because governments throw tax money at them. Take away that and you'll have no trains.
Public transportation is a great thing, but don't kid your self by thinking it's a great business without government subsidies.
These high speed rail companies must have tunnel vision, it won't work. There are not enough people in Las Vegas who make enough money to support a high speed rail system, Californians like to their cars and the biggest hurdle is, you can fly to Southern California and Las Vegas for $125. Why take a training that is going to take two hour when you can fly in less that one hour, trains also break down alot. Genesis High Speed Rail needs to reconsider, I for one do not want the federal government to spend a penny on another rail company survey or proposal, that is just wasted money that goes directly to the company and has nothing to do with the construction cost. Now a high speed rail line is a good idea from San Francisco and Sacramento, there is no airline service and many people that live in Sacramento work in San Francisco and many people in San Francisco do business at the capital. Anytime you take on a project such as this, it must be practical and you don't do it just because of jobs, once the projects so are the jobs. Look at the monorail system, wrong place and wrong time, impractical and I surely like to know who did the survey and proposal for that project.
Makes you wonder how many suckers out there invest in these new train ideas. Putting this on this new route would be so full of problems and delays, it will be the 23rd century before it happens. I vote this one as the dumbest train idea of 2010. If you invest in this, you may as well put your money in a wood burning stove...
I love these tall tales. I can't wait for the next bogus idea!
The Chinese have a bullet train from Beijing that goes 250 km/hr (155 mph). For a distance from Beijing that is equivalent to LV to LA, it cost $17 and takes 2 hours. The trains are as as smooth as silk. Next year, they are going to replace this with a 350 km/hr train (220 mph). Even the present train is a MUCH better experience than flying when you consider airport issues.
This type of train would be a great boon to business in LV.
"Imagine, such a train system could be powered by solar energy in the future. High efficiency solar panels and super lithium batteries could make this happen. Or, even better, an electric train system , powered by solar energy which is available in the desert."
Keep imagining. There is no solar power technology that could generate enogh power to run this thing. Take up the whole desert and three trillon dollars later, the train will stll need a fossil fuel base load. Too bad people don't understand renewable energy...
From the dictionary of "I hope they don't see through this:
Public-private partnership = taxpayers pay for and aborb the risk while my company will keep the profits!
"The Chinese have a bullet train from Beijing that goes 250 km/hr (155 mph). For a distance from Beijing that is equivalent to LV to LA, it cost $17 and takes 2 hours. The trains are as as smooth as silk. Next year, they are going to replace this with a 350 km/hr train (220 mph). Even the present train is a MUCH better experience than flying when you consider airport issues"
They (China) put development where ever they want. The public has little say in China. Building a train next to the Colorado River would be problematic in several ways and several private lands would need to be taken. This is not China (yet). You won't live long enough to see this happen in the US. Speculation and investment scamming 1012...
Sunlizard, yes China puts things wherever they want because they don't have the crippling special interest groups slowing them down.
I am not advocating ramming things through the environment but enough is enough.
BORIS== Out of all the crap I have heard you say out of that eurotrash mouth of yours,, I will say that you are right on target for this... I appreciate your interest for the good of Las Vegas on this project...Have a good day.. Thanks for not being borish....lol
When the gas is 6 to 10 dollars a gallon, they will ride.
Gee, the teaparty people don't like Europe now either?
No Mexicans, no Europeans and the Asians have their own Casinos. no wonder there is 14% unemployment. And if Angle is elected she will take away all the booze.
haha, asleepatdawheel. You can make a 1 million dollar bet, but odds are you will lose by saying that public transportation is impossible. It works. Once gas gets expensive, people will start thinking about and ride public vehicles....
the more time it takes to take control over the oil desaster in the golf, the more people will realize that what's going on right now is not the way to go in the future. "Big Car , nice, yeah, great, sooo coool", but the gas for fueling needs to come from somewhere. Till the day gas will be 10 dollars/gallon. And let's take another look back to the idea of pushing public transportation systems. By then, however, it could be too late already. Nobody knows....
Cred said: "Public transportation is a great thing, but don't kid your self by thinking it's a great business without government subsidies."
That's why the call it Public Transportation, it's funded by the public for the benefit of all. Less congestion, pollution etc., something we don't know about here in LV. You can't even catch a bus to where you want to go here. NY, SF, DC and other big cities have great public transit programs that are all publicly funded.
LOL
$35,000,000.00 to 'study' 18th century rail technology. What a joke!
The United States has developed and implemented comprehensive subterranean Rail Technology for the past 40 years. Men, equipment and supplies can be moved underground without the prying 'eyes' of aerial and space reconnaissance.
The United States Atomic Energy Commission and the United States Energy Research and Development Administration took out Patents in the 1970s for nuclear subterrenes. The first patent, in 1972 went to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
US Patent No. 3,693,731, 26 Sep 1972
Finally, the southern California location that was chosen for tunneling cost analysis is thought provoking. This is precisely one of the regions of the West where there is rumored to be a secret tunnel system. Did the A.A. Mathews study represent part of the planning for an actual covert tunneling project that was subsequently carried out, when it was determined that it was more cost effective to use NSTMs than mechanical TBMs?
From the book "Underground Bases and Tunnels, by Richard Sauder, Ph.D. RAND Corporation
http://www.detailshere.com/tunnelmachine...
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22158036/US-Pa...
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System was a 'cover' for a much larger 'black' project.
Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) - This is a network of highways which are important to the United States' strategic defense policy and which provide defense access, continuity and emergency capabilities for defense purposes. The Interstate Highway System is a part of STRAHNET, and also includes major STRAHNET connectors, highways which provide access between major military installations and other highways which are part of the Strategic Highway Network.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_H...
Thomas spoke about a subterranean highway through America just like our own Interstate highway system, except its underground. The underground highway uses trucks, cars, and buses driven by electric motors. You wouldn't want gasoline fumes polluting tunnels. He mentioned another style of transport for freight and passengers that is linked together in a world-wide network called the "Sub-Global System." It has check points at each country entry. There are shuttle tubes that "shoot" the trains at incredible speed using a mag-lev and vacuum method. They travel in excess of the speed of sound. Did Thomas concoct this from a science-fiction scenario or does such a system have a basis in fact, and, if so, how much more of what Thomas has told us exists in reality?
http://www.think-aboutit.com/Underground...
Mobility 2088
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se6ILncGq...
Maybe we could apply some 20th century technology to our transportation problems if the Federal Government would release the technology into the public domain.
borisr...you reside in a very financially conservative country -- so why don't you pencil out the numbers on the proverbial napkin first to see if this massive undertaking has any economic feasibility whatsoever, before you say, build it -- with our hard-earned tax dollars, of course, and not one centime from your saved up hoard of swiss francs, I suspect. I do think you're a bit naive on this topic.
Before you spend our $35 million to study 'surface rail transportation systems' maybe you should consider this...
June 4, 2010: Earth and space are about to come into contact in a way that's new to human history. To make preparations, authorities in Washington DC are holding a meeting: The Space Weather Enterprise Forum at the National Press Club on June 8th.
As the Sun Awakens...
Many technologies of the 21st century are vulnerable to solar storms.
Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division, explains what it's all about:
"The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity. At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms. The intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss."
The National Academy of Sciences framed the problem two years ago in a landmark report entitled "Severe Space Weather Events--Societal and Economic Impacts." It noted how people of the 21st-century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity. A century-class solar storm, the Academy warned, could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
"I believe we're on the threshold of a new era in which space weather can be as influential in our daily lives as ordinary terrestrial weather." Fisher concludes. "We take this very seriously indeed."
For more information about the meeting, please visit the Space Weather Enterprise Forum home page at http://www.nswp.gov/swef/swef_2010.html.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/sci...
I go to L.A. several times a year, and I would definitely take advantage of a rail line if it was direct. I think Vegas would see a definite increase in guest if this goes through.
And how can you compare San Fran to Sacramento with L.A. to Las Vegas. You kidding me.
Why not just widen the highway I15, trains' schedule is too few and far in between time!
It never ceases to amaze me how stupid the general public is about the infamous train being built from California to Vegas, its California dummies.
Before you get all excited take your head out the dark hole, there will be NO TRAIN built in any of our lifetimes or your kid's lifetime. It will take a hundred years to get an EIR/EIS completed and through the court system in California before any train track is build in their state.
California passed a $10 billion bond measure to build a high speed train in their own state using existing right of ways and that is in court and the EIR/EIS is costing more than the bond measure passed, Obama gave them more money from the infamous stimulus package that they're using to pay for the EIR cost overruns, and you dummies think Vegas is getting a train. And yet, you dummies actually believe a train will be built from California through their desert lands and in their airspace. I have to ask, who rattled your brain cells for you to think such foolishness?
We can all agree on one thing, you just can't fix stupid yet the trolls still voted Obama and the rest of the liberals into office. Keep in mind, we can agree on one thing, when somebody is stupid, they're stupid for life and the mindless trolls who voted for these idiots, remember what we agree on, I didn't vote for them, somebody else did.
The only reason businesses and politicians say they want to build a train from California to Vegas is to suck taxpayer money from the system and investors dry. They'll never get this passed through the California legislators let alone the environmentalist nutcases that will have this in the courts for a hundred years or more. What they will do is suck a few billion from taxpayers and investors, paying themselves enormous salaries at other people's expenses. And with this so called green movement, lmao, any train is dead in its track.
I like the idea of the route - but to me just sounds like another way to get $35 million for a study. Personally I think groups have found that it is easier just to ask for the study money than to do the real job. It is the one of the problems currently in society - get government money and do nothing.
Further we all know they will never be on budget at 40 million triple it and maybe.
Just DO NOT put up any public bonds on this one!
As said before the price of fuel could be a real game changer in the years to come. If the train is electric powered from the grid it wouldn't be effected. Where airlines would have to charge more and driving seems less of a deal. Perhaps if the fuel prices skyrocket more people will buy non hybrid electric cars for city driving with a limited range.
I would think there are a lot of people that would come from California to Vegas, and it would only help us. With the right technology (Maglev) the train was about equal with flying. I believe if the price and travel time are about the same more would choose the train. You have more room. You can get up and go to a lounge. No airport security and lines. It takes a lot of time to go thru an airport. Most likely you could take carry on items like liquids, nail clippers, lighters, etc. Maybe even smoke on the train.
The comment about trains break down a lot dose not match the numbers. Reliability: Amtrak 80%, Domestic Airlines 76% ( Figures from 2007. "Table 1-67: Amtrak On-Time Performance Trends and Hours of Delay by Cause" & "Flight Operations Arriving On Time by the Largest U.S. Air Carriers". Bureau of Transportation Statistics.". But weere not talking about Amtrak running on other railroads tracks. Amtraks average equipment age is over 25 years old, even higher then when first started in 1971 with all used equipment. Were talking all new on dedicated lines.
Boris is right, solar could provide some of the electricity.
An example would be the Amtrak AMD P42DC with a total generator output of 3,170 KW. In Boulder City there are 167,000 solar modules on 80 acres with a 10-MW output (10,000 KW). It's not a cutting edge system with fixed panels that aren't the latest and greatest. Run a rack of panels 3 high along some of the 270 mile route and you have more than what is needed on a good day. Skip the batteries. Sell the rest to the power company which would go towards covering the electric cost at night and cloudy days.
If you have a rack of panels on a 10' peice of property ajacent to the tracks / service road it would only take 66 mile to equil 80 acres 10 MW of solar power with the same panels.
Its2hot: "Before you get all excited take your head out the dark hole, there will be NO TRAIN built in any of our lifetimes or your kid's lifetime. It will take a hundred years to get an EIR/EIS completed and through the court system in California before any train track is build in their state."
This is not necessarily so. The CA high speed rail has already had the environmental impact studies done and, in fact, even the environmental groups said they will not try to block it because they see the benefit of it. The CA bond measure passed last year so it's past the thinking stage and beginning stages. From LA to SF and a spur to SAC. Now when it will be done, who knows....It's all elevated or tunneled so there are no grade crossing which is very cool. No crashes or slow downs for idiots in their cars. Here is the official state page with a video of it http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
Whatever is built...and soon,Let's finish the Monorail to McCarran first.Why take a train to Vegas to spend your money at the strip just to get fleeced by the cabbies before you get there.P.S make the casino's chip in for the Monorail it's the pipe to their casino's..
Maybe no Maglev for passenger service soon. But Union Pacific & General Atomics is looking at a short freight / cargo container system for the ports of California.
http://atg.ga.com/EM/transportation/ecco...
http://atg.ga.com/EM/transportation/magn...
Well written and accurate article. Good job, Richard. Thanks for the update. Call me crazy but I think DesertXPress will win this whole thing--Victorville is just the beginning of their route.
MountainBreeze: Public transport does not equal to taxpayer financed transportation by definition, but it's usually considered so. You can run a citywide public transportation without a cent from tax money, if you can.
I've been to Las Vegas and used the local buses. They're cool if you live near big roads, but getting around with them is slow. But don't think for a second that would change with taxpayer money.
Also for those who say that after the gas prices rice people will change to buses. Have you totally forgotten what the buses use? Higher gas prices mean higher ticket prices. And higher taxes, because public transportation is not profitable.
People have needs such as to get home from work ASAP. Only thing that is faster than own car would be metro and that, again, requires taxpayer money to construct and to operate. How many would be prepared to spend over an hour in a bus, with others, instead of driving their own car even with expensive gas?
MountainBreeze:
Lol, just because the government says so surely doesn't make it true, it's the government who just happen to be career liars and thieves that just happen to be paid for doing the job they believe they were hired to do, lie, cheat, or any other unlawful act one could think of, they're above our laws, remember? A little hint, show me a politician who speaks, I'll show you a liar and cheater every time.
I beg to differ; lawsuits will stop any train from being built. The suits in California have stopped their own train's progress, as I said environmental nutcases throughout the liberal party will never allow trains to be built.
Here is link to judgment in favor of the plaintiffs; this train will never be built.
http://www.transdef.org/HSR/HSR_Lawsuit....
Before you all get your hopes up starting counting the your money, the government and private business is going to suck more from you and this proposed train will never be built. What will occur is the whack o nutcase liberals will make a few billion preparing their EIR/EIS studies, Republican business owners will pay themselves in equal amounts of the whacko party, both will make a few billion, and we're paying both their wages for a pipe dream.
As I said earlier, take your head out of the dark hole you have it stuffed in, the liberals will never allow this train to be built.
STUDY THIS, POPULATION DENSITY! Our population are too spread out to have chance of success, outside of NYC and Chicago. Los Angeles won't work! Those that use public transportation are lower income riders, people that go to Las Vegas either fly or drive during these lean years. BTW, there are more airports in Southern California than bus and train stations! HELLO000W...???
There are more airports than bus/train stations here in SoCal.
Victorville Station??? Be serious!!!
How much is the train fare? Its only cheaper to ride for sinles only, do the math.
Build it quick, while we still have credit with the Chinese.
Victorville-Las Vegas= 180miles
Shanghai station-Pudong International Airport 18miles(30km) @ 8 minutes
Meglev to travel 180 miles per above speed = 1 hr 20 minutes
Driving 180 miles at 70 mph = 2 hrs 40 minutes.
What about time and logistic of parking, to and from train at Victorville and Las Vegas, transportation cost at these 2 destinations?
Where is the advantage of time and expense?
Where is my $35 millions fee??? CALL ME!!!
<When the gas is 6 to 10 dollars a gallon, they will ride.
Gee, the teaparty people don't like Europe now either?
No Mexicans, no Europeans and the Asians have their own Casinos. no wonder there is 14% unemployment. And if Angle is elected she will take away all the booze.>
Hey Mred:
You must be the real talking horse! When and if petro goes up to your projection of US$6/US$10, we will be so poor that Vegas will become a desert again! People will take the bus or riding cheap Chinese scooters as the Chinese had before their boom, but taking the train to Las Vegas is just a WET DREAM then...
35 million for a "study"? These have been studied to death. Why should the taxpayer pay for yet another "study"? Unless of course they hire me to do it. I can get some "consultant" business cards printed, connect with a few lawyer and engineer buddies and we can give them a "study".
Ha Ha. More pie in the sky.
People say "no more airport security hassles"
Yeah, they'll just become "train station security hassles". You'll still have to pass through a security checkpoint to get on a train. Seriously people.
I'm boycotting L.A. so I won't be taking any trains there.
Just because some fool is asking for $35 million doesn't mean anyone is thinking of giving it to them. Please, people, just chill out a little bit.
I'm with Boris, Active1, getalife, mountainbreeze and other sensible replies here; although some people don't have the emotional fortitude required to handle the give and take of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, it's a great way to make sure all sides are considered when we develop plans for a new project -- these people who want to try to turn it into some political conspiracy theory need to turn off their radio and take a walk (that's you, Emenot, Its2hot, Sunlizard).
The rest of us should consider that old fashion rail is noisy, costly, dangerous and inefficient.
It takes less energy to move smaller cars, and it's less expensive to build a system that doesn't need to handle the weight of a full size train. Let's consider PRT. Moving smaller cars with solar power is quite doable.
I really think we have the know-how in this day and age to come up with something better.
Please check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_ra...
http://podcarcity.org/events/podcar-city...