Vegas Rail: A Gamble Or Good Thing?

March 25, 2012 5:46 PM

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Election Results

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A Nevada company is on the verge of landing a $4.9 billion loan from the Obama administration to build a high-speed train that would rocket tourists from the middle of nowhere to the casinos of Las Vegas.

The vast park-and-ride project is hooked to the idea that car-loving Californians will drive about 100 miles from the Los Angeles area, pull off Interstate 15 and board a train for the final leg to the famous Strip.

Planners for privately held DesertXpress imagine that millions of travelers a year will one day flock to a station outside down-on-its-luck Victorville, on the edge of the Mojave Desert.

A decision by the Federal Railroad Administration is not expected until mid-year.

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Wheatgerm

NOT a good idea. I am VERY familiar with that drive. The worst part of the trip is between LA or Ornge County and Victorville. Getting from Vegas to Victorville, or vice-versa is easy in your own car. The loan is another tax payer backed waste. There was a plan to build a maglev train to Anahiem. A bit slower in getting thru the ‘red-tape’. However, a train that will go to Anahiem in 90 minutes would be FULL – both directions. At nearly 3 times the cost, it would be a much better risk. Actually, I had heard a Chinese bank would pay for it IF the US would ‘guarantee’ it. It makes more sense to guarantee the train that would be used (apx $12B) than one that wont at $4.9B. As this article says, Victorville is the middle of nowhere. Thus, this would be the train to the middle of nowhere. Also, once started, we’d never get the maglev to Anahiem. Trust me, I am an expert on this issue!!

Ava

You are so right. I was about to post the same comments. I live in Las Vegas during the winter. I would ove to be able to get to Southern California without the airport hassle on both sides. Plus I do not want to rent a car in CA. How does this help at all? Might as well still take the plane.
Zed

couldn’t agree more. Victorville?? Really??? This is an awful idea, yet I find myself unsurprised at how often blatantly terrible ideas fight roots when funded by tax payer dollars.
I’m even skeptical of a train that goes to Anaheim, simply because if it were likely to be profitable, someone would probably have already seized the opportunity. However if there were a train that went all the way to Anaheim/LA, I would use it at least once/twice a year for Disneyland trips or Cruise departures.

Roy Vegas

Just like the Las Vegas Monorail; inconvenient, and does not go all the way.
My photo filled Las Vegas blog is http://RoyVegas.blogspot.com