A high-speed race to build rail service between Las Vegas and Southern California is heating up as yet another set of trains was proposed on Thursday.
New York-based Genesis High Speed Rail America unveiled plans to not only connect Southern California to Las Vegas, but connect Phoenix as well.
Genesis’ proposed Desert Lightning High Speed Rail Line would travel between 200 miles per hour and cut a road trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles from “four hours” to “two hours,” says the company.
The plan is still in its earliest stages and the company is seeking funding for studies on its viability. Genesis estimates that the cost of the rail line would be between $35 billion and $40 billion.
The plan is just one of a bevy of pitches that aim to bring Sin City and the City of Angels together via trains. Currently, over 12 million travelers make the 300-mile journey between Los Angeles and Las Vegas every year.
Earlier this month, Las Vegas Railway Express, a Delaware-based company, announced plans to create a slower-moving, but swankier, train service to Vegas called the X Train.
The X Train would take about 5.5 hours to travel to Las Vegas from Los Angeles (roughly the same time it would take to drive), but it would allow riders start gambling and drinking prior to arriving in Vegas.
To get riders in the mood for their destination, rail cars are being designed to evoke the glitz of Las Vegas, complete with psychedelic rugs, show bars and sports lounges.
Vegas, baby, Vegas – Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
Las Vegas Railway Express has announced that they expect the X Train to be running by 2011, since it will use converted railcars and existing train tracks.
Getting a high-speed railway to Las Vegas, however, is still years away, as most projects have been stalled on the drawing board.
The DesertXpress project, a $4 billion high-speed train, is probably the closest to completion. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the fall of 2010, with the line slated to be fully operational by 2014.
The DesertXpress, however, isn’t the most convenient rail plan being presented. Angelenos would have to catch the train in Victorville, a city that’s located almost 100 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: MarketWatch, XTrain, Fast Company, MyNews3
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Train Travel section
- Amtrak’s Acela Express Review + Manhattan Shopping
- Obama’s State of the Union & High-Speed Rail Projects
- Will High-Speed Rail Corridor Rankings Mean More Trains In Your City?
- President Obama Makes the Effort to Improve America’s Train System
- Five American Train Trips You Shouldn’t Miss
- Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Las Vegas, Nevada
Vegas, baby, Vegas – Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
