You already know this headline has a big “if.” The story runs in the Contra Costa Times reports developers will spend $4 billion in private investment for a Victorville to Las Vegas high speed rail link. This is not the Maglev proposal.
The preliminary environmental study is complete and the FRA needs to sign off. The business plan suggests a ticket price in the $50 range.
As planned, the DesertXpress line would allow Southern California passengers to board trains at a north Victorville train station and speed to Sin City as quickly as 150 mph. The line, which would generally follow the route of the 15 Freeway, would feature 183 to 200 miles of track, depending upon its ultimate alignment.
DesertXpress is still awaiting approval from the federal government. The firm has completed a draft environmental impact statement and Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Rob Kulat said the agency could make a decision in nine months.
Filed under: Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail
I’m all for private development of HSR or maglev! I wish them luck!
I’m not holding my breath, however. Drive to Victorville and THEN take the train?
The only hope for DesertXpress is to talk to the CHSRA and build DesertXpress to be compatible with California High Speed Rail. A 50-mile spur from Palmdale to Victorville would do the trick.
Otherwise, no, I would not drive to Victorville and then take the train. I don’t want to drive at all!
No word on my pet peeve about that project — its lack of bus connections in the LA area.
The Mag-lev people and the Victorville people don’t want to talk about interoperablity and intermodal connectivity – they want to build a US$25B+ toy. When gas is US$10/gallon, who will drive to Victorville? How will folks from Sacto and the Bay Area get there? @3 Spokker is right – the ONLY hope is a cord to/from CHSRA for through electrically powered trains w/ selected stops to pick folks up nearer their homes along the way.
[...] Victorville to Vegas Train to Start Construction Next Year? (Trains for America) [...]
Have you never heard of intermodal??? Using your argument of compatibility then we shouldn’t have trains at all since they can’t use the highways with buses.
So… Where were the mag-lev fans and LV HSR fans the other day?
From Infrastructurist:
http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/06/05/why-was-nobody-lobbying-for-fancy-gambling-train-at-white-house-rail-summit/
now this is the year 2010, but when are they going to start on the construction?