Developers cleared to start DesertXpress engineering
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The DesertXpress high-speed rail project would travel 185 miles through federal lands, a national preserve and two states. A rendering of the train is seen here.
Tuesday
12 July 2011
7:43 p.m.
Archives
- DesertXpress high-speed rail project rolls forward (2-21-2011)
- DesertXpress rail project going after tax dollars, after all (2-21-2011)
- DesertXpress top executive retires from high-speed rail project (12-17-2010)
- With new leaders, a revival of maglev high-speed rail? (11-25-2010)
- Harry Reid hopeful DesertXpress gets support from next governor (10-13-2010)
- Transportation secretary envisions nation connected by high-speed rail (10-13-2010)
- High-speed rail: Will it be worth the wait for Nevadans? (9-31-2010)
- DesertXpress likely further delayed by a federal agency (9-24-2010)
- Work on high-speed rail set to begin this year (3-25-2010)
- $45 million for maglev shifted to airport road project (3-17-2010)
The U.S. Transportation Department has given the green light to developers of DesertXpress to begin preliminary engineering for the $6 billion, 186-mile high-speed rail project that would link Las Vegas with Victorville, Calif.
The approval, known as a record of decision, is the final step in the arduous process of preparing an environmental impact statement on the controversial project.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office issued a news release Tuesday announcing the record of decision.
This “announcement is about one thing: creating good-paying jobs right here in Nevada,” the Nevada Democrat said in the release. “This major step forward for the privately sponsored DesertXpress project will create more than 32,000 jobs in Southern Nevada and boost our economy by providing another way for tourists to visit and enjoy this great state.”
The announcement comes days before an anticipated House vote in which Republicans have vowed to divert $1.5 billion earmarked for high-speed rail projects to Midwest flood relief.
Such a move could deliver a financial blow to the California High Speed Rail Authority, which is counting on federal funding to help develop a rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco and Sacramento.
DesertXpress officials are counting on extending their line from Victorville to the California system with a 50-mile link west to Palmdale. Currently, that’s the only plan in place for passengers to travel between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Critics have ripped Victorville as a terminus of the DesertXpress route, saying Southern Californians wouldn’t park their cars there to ride the train and Las Vegans wanting to go to Southern California would have to rent cars to continue their journey.
The Federal Railroad Administration has overseen the environmental review process, which began in 2006. The process was complicated because the route crossed land administered by the Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and Surface Transportation Board, and each agency had to sign off on the plan.
The twin-track route would run primarily within the Interstate 15 right-of-way, with trains reaching speeds of about 150 mph. Company officials have estimated ticket prices to average $50 each way. An estimated 26 percent of Las Vegas visitors come from Southern California.
A UNLV report says the DesertXpress project would produce an estimated 17,469 primary jobs and 16,432 secondary jobs in Clark County by 2013.
The project also is expected to result in 50,000 jobs in Southern California’s San Bernardino County.
DesertXpress officials said they were encouraged by the publication of the record of decision, which would enable the Federal Railroad Administration to review a $5.9 billion federal loan application.
In an emailed statement, a representative of the company said, “With the continued support of federal, state and local leaders, DesertXpress is committed to becoming our country’s first true high-speed rail line.”
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I am one of the first that would jump in for anything that is good for Las Vegas but I am still having trouble believing this is going to work by it ending in Victorville or Palmdale.
If it went on into the San Fernando Valley or L.A. I would have more faith in it.
Seems to me this is to much like our monorail that does not go downtown or to the airport. Good idea but did not go far enough to work.
30,000 Jobs is a good thing but not if it fails.
If 30K jobs are to be created that comes out to $167K per job. Does anyone find it odd this is almost exactly half of the per hire pay generated by the stimulus? I understand creating jobs and do appreciate that but is there a guarantee in writing that 30K jobs will be created for the taxpayer money? There are so many questions the people have for this project before it gets approved but I guess the people will be ignored again?
This sounds like it will make as much sense as a monorail that doesn't go to the airport.
I'm all for creating good paying jobs and boosting the economy, but building Edsels is not going to do it. A high-speed rail project has to be maglev, and it has to run to Anaheim, or some other DESTINATION, or else it's just going to be another Monorail, a train to nowhere, nobody rides...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_trai...
The train to no where... I travel to and from San Diego often and I see absolutely no benefit to taking this train. $50 bucks each way, plus dealing with luggage, renting a car, returning the rented car, and more than likely having to deal with the TSA.... No thanks.
It should be noted it costs me $50 in gas (with these high prices) to get to San Diego from Vegas...
Didnt some airline just offer $9 flights to san diego for a membership fee of $60 a year or something? That seems a lot better of a deal to me. For the price of one round trip ticket you can join that membership and get quite a few flights.
With that being said people like trains so I imagine someone will find a reason to take the train over driving...
Its definitely not for me... Really wish it went straight through to San Diego then this train would had been really useful to me...
It also seems like its more a benefit for people in Cali traveling to Vegas rather than Vegas traveling to cali...
Will these planners consider passing the dessertxpress thru Palm Springs then straight to Los Angeles? it would make a lot of sense since everyone wants to go to Palm Springs on summer weekends. If you got upside down @ Las Vegas then you might get over the top in Palm Springs, hit the casinos baby!!!!!!!
It is a terrific idea. They just need to be able to extend the line all the way to LA. it is a win win for Nevada and California since it would create a large number of jobs and help some otherwise depressed areas. Can Harry Reid come through for once?
I am concerned about the planned location for the train stops - but unlike those who hate on this idea because right wing hate radio told them to, I am willing to support it because a. it creates jobs b. it sustains jobs c. it is sorely needed.
I've traveled the world and ridden on the TGV in France and the Bullet in Japan. It's safe, enjoyable, reliable, affordable transportation and the USA is becoming like a third-world country when it comes to infrastructure. Let's start building stuff again.
I don't understand why they think that Nevada will be the beneficary of these jobs when most of the system is going to be in California.
I have lived all over the US and seen or been involved in many job projects that project thousands. These jobs rarely ever come, and the ones that do are often very temporary and employ people from out of the area.
The recent solar plant is a perfect example, they promised lots of jobs, there was less than 250, they said they would do a lot for the Nevada economy, only the majority of the workers came from outside Nevada, they said the jobs would last, they did not, now there are only a few people working there.
30,000 jobs? Doing what exactly? Standing every 50 yards along the track? And who is going to drive more than half way to LV, then stop find a parking lot, take a shuttle to the train station, wait in lines, pay fees, hope the train is on time dragon your luggage then drag it all over once you get to LV, rent a car or take a cab, or worse a bus dragging your stuff around when you could have taken your car and skipped a lot of the time wasters and costs?
If this does not go all the way into central CA or other areas deep into the state people are not going to ride it after the early novelty wears off.
The 30,000 jobs is a typical hype to sell it to the tax payers to get at your money.
Really want to help people, just give 30,0000 people the $196,000 and see how they spend! That would boost the economy far more than this waste will do.
Another Harry Reid tax and spend fiasco.
It has zero chance of paying for itself. The cost overruns will be outrageous, the delays by NIMBYS and environmental obstructionists will as always add millions if not billions. It will be a huge drain on the US taxpayer, 99% of which will never ride it.
I would take a train to San Diego if I didn't have to change trains and the cost was competitive. It won't be. Victorville? Never. LA or San Francisco? Maybe once if they were direct no transfers. It will be cheaper to drive and if it only goes to Victorville, faster also.
Will folks from San Diego and Los Angeles use it? Not enough to matter if they have to drive to Victorville, park and ride and arrive here without transportation while their car sits and waits to be vandalized or stolen.
If we allow this we can never complain about our taxes being spent on things that benefit only others like the Big Dig in Boston. This will be another like it.
A money loser, it won't bring permanent jobs to NV other than those that maintain the line if it is built. It would be cheaper to buy airline tickets for any permanent resident who wants to fly.
This is why the US is going down to ruin quickly. Tax and spend politicians buy votes with taxes from all 50 states and fund poorly thought out projects that lose money in perpetuity. They borrow this money from foreign governments like China and then demand a hike in the national debt ceiling to prevent default.
They demand tax increases on the rich which really means everyone and when that doesn't solve their problem which it never has they will demand more tax increases and new taxes which they always do.
Unlike the chicken and the egg, we know which one comes first... spending, followed by borrowing, taxing and more spending. It's in their DNA and they can't do otherwise. And enough nit wits vote for them to insure our future as another failed empire like the Romans.
Our democratic republic will fail because we will allow progressives to spend us into oblivion when we could have been responsible and cautious.
Quiet all you haters!!! Finally, a privet investor with enough tenacity to keep this going. Wish I knew who it was so I could make some money on this deal".
It should be noted, USMC6591, that this is a private venture and not taxpayer funded. The company is seeking a government loan, but DesertXpress Enterprises has been very clear about not seeking tax dollars.
Moss
I don't think that you should be considering an investment in privit hedges with the water situation in LV.
Concrete block is cheaper and more durable in the long run!
Fly Southwest, if you make reservations in advance it's almost the same amount of money and you don't have to park your car some where it's likely to get broken into...
"This sounds like it will make as much sense as a monorail that doesn't go to the airport."
boftx -- excellent point! Too bad Senator Reid and all the other cheerleaders
"30,000 jobs? Doing what exactly? Standing every 50 yards along the track?"
michaelmm -- right, it's not like they're going to hand them shovels.
Another BIG waste of money, "if" we wanted to visit southern California, why in Hel* would we want to be dropped off in Victorville? How about a speed rail to Anahiem? Like the Maglev was supposed to run to. Once again Harry A-hol* is all about the money and not the end result, dip-shi* idea
One of the posters hit the nail on teh head...It is NOT about hating anything. I HATE HARRY REID....but if he get this project rolling, I'll buy him 1/2 of a hot root beer. The problem w/ALL mass transit projects is the geek engineers. If you do NOT make it accessable, convieinient, and have it/they run at reasonable times. WE WON"T USE IT. PERIOD!!!
Victorville....Palmdale....? Why not mile maker 32 somewhere on I-10???
Use you heads dummies. OR.....you can look @ how screwed up New Mexico made their little "choo-choo" that never runs when folks want....and it's losin' it's butt...moneywize. But by golly we got a choo-choo.
Common Sense. A lost art.
Greg Stark
Lookin' for work on that project.