Anaheim - Las Vegas Maglev train

[OE-305]

A $45 million appropriation from congress last month has given new promise to a 17 year effort to link LA and Las Vegas with a high speed Maglev train along I-15. This money will fully fund the engineering and environmental studies over the next 1-2 years.

Some facts about the line:

Anaheim - Las Vegas

(269 miles) 86 minutes by train, 4 hours by car (up to 9 hours on Fridays and Sundays)

Cost to build ~ 7 billion for entire length

Estimated ridership ~ 40 million/year

Top speed: 300 mph

Benefits: Will help dramatically with congestion on I-15. Of the 38 million annual visitors to Las Vegas, roughly 1/4 to 1/3 are from so. Cal. (and of those coming from so. California, ~ 70% will drive). That means 6.7-8.9 million southern Californians are making the trip by car every year (mostly on weekends), effectively clogging the 4 lane interstate.

Will be help reduce air pollution by taking cars off the interstate.

Primm, NV - Las Vegas, NV

(35 miles) 12 minutes by train, 30 minutes by car

Cost to build ~ 1.2 billion (for this segment)

Estimated ridership ~ 14.5 million/year

Benefits: Will quickly shuttle visitors and locals to and from the planned International airport in Primm. Nothing really exists down there right now, but that will all change once the Ivanpah airport opens early next decade.

Significant challenges to this proposal:

1) California currently has several billion dollars of debt; funding will be hard to come by.

2) Tribal gaming is a billion dollar industry in CA and these guys will do everything in their power to kill this project.

3) San Andreas fault. Would it be safe if this thing goes while a train is on the track?

IMO there seems a to be a better chance that the Primm - Las Vegas segment will be built rather than the entire length. In order for the Ivanpah airport in Primm to be a success, a high speed, high capacity people-mover of some sort will have to constructed. What better way to do this than a maglev?!

http://www.maglev-train.com/home.asp

http://www.latimes.com/travel/printedition...ack=1&cset=true

can't find the LV-Review Journal article on the internet from Aug 21, 2005 detailing the $45 million appropriation ... hmmm

[paulblackgsx]

Sounds like an interesting start. I honestly think San Diego-LA link would generate a lot more ridership and be a much bigger benefit to the area.

[OE-305]

I honestly think San Diego-LA link would generate a lot more ridership and be a much bigger benefit to the area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You might have a point there. Assuming this project ever gets off the ground in the next decade, plans should be made to extend it south to SD.

I still think that the first (and possibly only) leg will be the Primm-Vegas line. We need to whisk those tourist to the Stip in a hurry, otherwise, what's the point of flying into Primm???

[Dcfilmknight]

It's a shame that projects that seem like "no brainers" are continually held up in american beaucratic "red tape". A high speed Magev line that runs from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, via Anaheim, would be a step in the right direction, not only for the future of transportation in southern california, but for the nation as a whole.

[OE-305]

It's a shame that projects that seem like "no brainers" are continually held up in american beaucratic "red tape". A high speed Magev line that runs from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, via Anaheim, would be a step in the right direction, not only for the future of transportation in southern california, but for the nation as a whole.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What I find amazing are the number of billion dollar (and multi-billion dollar) projects going on in this city right now that are all privately funded. Hell, MGM Mirage's 66 acre Project CityCenter could easily pay for this line with a few billion to spare. But yeah, you're right.

Here's an older article I dug up.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/200...s/24152784.html

The most recent article from last week mentioned something about a proposed D.C.-Baltimore line. Anyone know anything about this?

[monsoon]

This was a complete waste of federal money and an example of pork barrell politics instead of common sense. There is not one maglev system in the world that has been demonstrated to be viable and here we go again throwing more money after it. If the people of S. California had any sense they would use the money instead to study building a high speed bullet train instead of this boondoogle.

[OE-305]

This was a complete waste of federal money and an example of pork barrell politics instead of common sense.  There is not one maglev system in the world that has been demonstrated to be viable and here we go again throwing more money after it.    If the people of S. California had any sense they would use the money instead to study building a high speed bullet train instead of this boondoogle.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Haha. They don't call this place LALA land for nothing, you know!

[mcashlv]

This was a complete waste of federal money and an example of pork barrell politics instead of common sense. There is not one maglev system in the world that has been demonstrated to be viable and here we go again throwing more money after it. If the people of S. California had any sense they would use the money instead to study building a high speed bullet train instead of this boondoogle.

We can't afford it because we're going to spend $120 billion to rebuild that stinking welfare sh*thole called New Orleans. Just imagine the kind of world we could have if we spent the $1 trillion that the Iraq war cost on infrastructure, from which the public might actually see a positive return on their investment. Nothing but welfare and cronyism, I'm surprised this country has survived as long as it has.

[monsoon]

I would not want to characterize NO as you have, (read our rules about this) but I agree with money not being spent sensibly in this Country.

[sunshine]

Isnt it cheaper to fly?

[dpbaker]

monsoon:

What about the Shanghai maglev? You say there is not a viable maglev anywhere in the world, but what exactly do you mean by viable? It seems to work well, and is well liked by the people that use it. By viable, do you mean profitable? I don't know many details about it. Would you consider it a success? Maybe high speed rail would be better for California, but I think maglev has a lot of potential. At any rate, it seems that we here in the U.S. are being left behind by may other countries, mostly Asian when it comes to this kind of transport. We need to do something!!

[badfish301]

here is a good (40 meg) video of the maglev in Shanghai: http://chake.chinatefl.com/vidmaglev.html.

i noticed monsoon left some other erronious material on another maglev page here... and has a vendetta against one of the fastest (as well as safest, most economical, eco- friendly, noise-pollution free) modes of transport. (must have a romantic fascination with wheels or something)...

the fact is anyone who thinks maglevs are loud, or use more energy than conventional fixed-rails, or the technology isn't there yet, haven't been reading enough before posting.

maglevs have been around for quite a while actually, but only since the 90's have they really been viable. the japanese have been working for over twenty years fine-tuning their models, while the german company transrapid has been the first to realize it - and it works perfectly.

did I mention maglevs produce virtually no pollution, be it sound, or otherwise, and feel like you are flying?

here is a page with a (good) video that I have found that shows a journey on the Shanghai Maglev (the first one in the world in commercial opperation).

http://chake.chinatefl.com/vidmaglev.html

tell me if you still think this is a "dead technology"

proposals are very seriously being considered to connect london and glasgow, as well as one for the Randstadt in the Netherlands.

In addition to the Las-Vegas Anaheim route, the U.S. it looks like Pittsburg might get a 40-something mile track to the airport. We will be using our own technology in the Pittsburg example (unlike the Las Vegas route which will probably use Transrapid if realized)..

this is an exciting time for fast as #%@& trains