Vegas-to-SoCal high-speed rail project clears major hurdle

[Harry Dresden]

A shitload of counts, audits and court challenges all confirming the election results

so if we had a secure voting system no counts would be necessary.....20/20 looked as fishy as hell after everything was said and done....

 

[Concerned American]

Get off the pot I say. Kalifornia, sure it will cost 79 trillion dollars. What will Ukraine do?

The original thought was that the casinos in Vegas would pay for it, but then gambling became legal across the nation and that funding stream dried up.

 

[Concerned American]

I have never had a TSA agent lay hands on me.

And it's still easier and faster to fly

I agree with your position. However, you don't want to be one of the unfortunates that is jerked out of line by TSA. We were coming back from Cabo San Lucas a couple years ago and my better half's ticket was marked with an "S". As we boarded the plane, a Mexican security agent pulled my wife aside and did a secondary security check--no problem, we understood the necessity although thought a blond, blue eyed, septuagenarian retired teacher of 35 years was not really a threat--it was random. We went through customs in San Diego with a close connection and when returning to the terminal after customs, she was pulled aside again by a muslim TSA agent. I was surprised when this agent went so far as to open the change purse on my wife's wallet and rifle through the coins--wtf, are coins weapons that terrorists use now? Two checks on connecting flights AFTER going through customs seems a bit excessive.

 

[Couchpotato]

The places they have been able to do it the demand has been there. The STL to Chicago route for example.

Or the demand existed and so they built it.

It's a 5 hour train ride from Chicago to St Louis.

https://www.omio.com/app/search-frontend/results/L841DCCD3310342ACA4BA51C390F880CB/train?currency=USD&locale=en&partnerId=microsoft&sourceSystem=b2b-links

It's a 1 hour plane ride.

It's a 4 hour 45 minute car ride.

So speed is clearly not the reason to take the train. I dont know how far in advance you have to show up for a train trip but I think an hour to allow for parking, getting to the station from the lot, security, check in etc etc is reasonable. So the train ride is almost twice the plane ride and an hour longer than just driving. (Im not counting the car ride to the airport or train station either)

The biggest issue in my opinion is the perception gap. In the US such travel is looked down upon, only one step above taking the bus. It is what the "poor" people do. Most other countries do not look at it this way

The reasoning behind people not wanting to take the train is kind of irrelevant isnt it? Building it wont change that perception if that is in fact why people wont take it. Seems to me that convivence is a big factor as well. If the train ride from point A to point B isnt significantly faster than me just driving what's the incentive for me to take the train? With the train Im bound to their schedule, I have to drive my car to the station, park (pay for parking) or take a car service of some sort, deal with security, checking in etc etc all for the pleasure of it taking longer for me to get to my destination? And when I get there I dont have a car so I have to again use a car service to get to where ever it is Im actually going. Then do all that in reverse to go back. And if my plans change I have to deal with changing my ticket, paying the change fees etc etc. The reason people deal with that for planes is because it significantly faster to fly.

 

[M14 Shooter]

The reasoning behind people not wanting to take the train is kind of irrelevant isnt it? Building it wont change that perception if that is in fact why people wont take it. Seems to me that convivence is a big factor as well. If the train ride from point A to point B isnt significantly faster than me just driving what's the incentive for me to take the train? With the train Im bound to their schedule, I have to drive my car to the station, park (pay for parking) or take a car service of some sort, deal with security, checking in etc etc all for the pleasure of it taking longer for me to get to my destination? And when I get there I dont have a car so I have to again use a car service to get to where ever it is Im actually going. Then do all that in reverse to go back. And if my plans change I have to deal with changing my ticket, paying the change fees etc etc. The reason people deal with that for planes is because it significantly faster to fly.

It amazes me how people refuse to understand this.

If you were able to take at train from NY to LA in 10 hours, but fly there in 5, with all else being equal - why take the train?

 

[Harpy Eagle]

So speed is clearly not the reason to take the train. I dont know how far in advance you have to show up for a train trip but I think an hour to allow for parking, getting to the station from the lot, security, check in etc etc is reasonable. So the train ride is almost twice the plane ride and an hour longer than just driving. (Im not counting the car ride to the airport or train station either)

I dropped my son off at the station this morning as he went to Chicago to see a friend. His train left our station at 5:15, I dropped him off at 5:07.

 

[Couchpotato]

It amazes me how people refuse to understand this.

If you were able to take at train from NY to LA in 10 hours, but fly there in 5, with all else being equal - why take the train?

And the reality is it would take a lot longer than 10 hours on a train. The only way it makes fiscal sense for the train is for it to stop at a bunch of major cities along the way. It would currently take you over 3 days to get from NY to LA on a train and costs 100$ more than a flight. Even if you cut that by 2/3rds no one is doing it.

I dropped my son off at the station this morning as he went to Chicago to see a friend. His train left our station at 5:15, I dropped him off at 5:07.

Ok. Thanks for addressing the smallest part of the issue. If you arent checking a bag and have a digital boarding pass you dont need to show up 2 hours prior to get on a flight either. Most places 30-45 minutes is plenty. Still doesn't make the train faster than a car let alone a flight. I flew back home from Atlanta yesterday. I needed less than an hour to turn in a rental car, and get to my gate, 2 hours later Im landing at my destination. On a train it would have taken 27 hours. I can travel that far in a car in 10. Are you seeing why people dont want to ride trains? Even assuming the high speed train can go 3 times as fast as the current train it's still only as fast as me driving.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

And the reality is it would take a lot longer than 10 hours on a train. The only way it makes fiscal sense for the train is for it to stop at a bunch of major cities along the way. It would currently take you over 3 days to get from NY to LA on a train and costs 100$ more than a flight. Even if you cut that by 2/3rds no one is doing it.

I agree it is not workable across the whole country, it is more of a regional thing.

I flew back home from Atlanta yesterday. I needed less than an hour to turn in a rental car, and get to my gate, 2 hours later Im landing at my destination. On a train it would have taken 27 hours.

If you flew in less 2 hours and it would have taken 27 with a train it is because there is no direct route. Which is the problem, of course you will always take the plane as it is the only real option.

Are you seeing why people dont want to ride trains? Even assuming the high speed train can go 3 times as fast as the current train it's still only as fast as me driving.

Yes, it gets you there as fast as driving, without the driving, without the cost of gas, without the need to stop every few hours for gas.

 

[g5000]

Looks like this may be a 'Go'! Vegas to ...errr...Rancho Cucamonga? LOL!

MSN

www.msn.com

The plan to build a high-speed train that will connect Las Vegas with Southern California took another important step this month.
The massive transportation project by Brightline could begin as soon as this year, with an estimated completion plotted for around 2027.
Last week, the Federal Rail Authority completed its environmental review for a portion of the project and found “no significant impact” along one of the critical sections of the proposed track.
The segment is located between Rancho Cucamonga and Victorville, with the tracks set to be built within the right of way of the 15 Freeway. Other segments along the proposed track have already received environmental approval.
The FRA evaluated the proposal, determined what impacts it could have on the local environment, traffic and natural aesthetic and determined that Brightline’s proposed solutions satisfied any concerns.
The high-speed rail project is estimated to cost at least $12 billion and will connect the Las Vegas strip to Rancho Cucamonga, with stops along the way in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Victorville.
Trains will take off every hour at high speeds, carrying passengers along the 215-plus mile stretch.
Brightline said it will coordinate its train arrivals with Metrolink service in Rancho Cucamonga, allowing for easy transfer onto trains that connect to the greater Los Angeles area.

Will there be slot machines on the train?

Tagline: Now You Can Lose Your Money Even Faster At 200 Miles Per Hour!

 

[M14 Shooter]

And the reality is it would take a lot longer than 10 hours on a train.

Sure. For the sake of argument, I assumed 300mph, no stops. Best case scebnario

 

[Couchpotato]

I agree it is not workable across the whole country, it is more of a regional thing.

Even the example you cited isnt any better than driving from a cost or time perspective. Unless you're driving something that gets terrible gas milage the cost for gas is less than the cost of a train ticket.

If you flew in less 2 hours and it would have taken 27 with a train it is because there is no direct route. Which is the problem, of course you will always take the plane as it is the only real option.

Yes, it gets you there as fast as driving, without the driving, without the cost of gas, without the need to stop every few hours for gas.

You might have to stop once from Chicago to St Louis. And you're trading the convenience of not driving for the inconvenience of schedule, not having a car at your destination, etc etc. The train has to be IMO significantly faster to make up for that. It seems most people agree with me or there would be more trains operating all over the place. Since the train isn't faster and actually slower than a car......

 

[M14 Shooter]

Yes, it gets you there as fast as driving, without the driving, without the cost of gas, without the need to stop every few hours for gas.

Twice a year, I drive my SUV from Toledo OH to Jellicoe TN.
389 miles, 5 hours, one tank of gas, with a bit to spare.
If that's what you mean by "every few hours" in the 300 mile Chicago to St Louis trip, then sure.

 

[Donald H]

I agree with your position. However, you don't want to be one of the unfortunates that is jerked out of line by TSA. We were coming back from Cabo San Lucas a couple years ago and my better half's ticket was marked with an "S". As we boarded the plane, a Mexican security agent pulled my wife aside and did a secondary security check--no problem, we understood the necessity although thought a blond, blue eyed, septuagenarian retired teacher of 35 years was not really a threat--it was random. We went through customs in San Diego with a close connection and when returning to the terminal after customs, she was pulled aside again by a muslim TSA agent. I was surprised when this agent went so far as to open the change purse on my wife's wallet and rifle through the coins--wtf, are coins weapons that terrorists use now? Two checks on connecting flights AFTER going through customs seems a bit excessive.

The 'S' means, an American suspected of illegal drug trafficking. The change purse is a favourite of the type.

 

[Concerned American]

The 'S' means, an American suspected of illegal drug trafficking. The change purse is a favourite of the type.

STFU, duck. As usual, you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[Mac-7]

Why?

Who needs a train that cost billions of dollars yet is still slower than an airplane?

 

[lennypartiv]

Raiders fans must be thrilled.

 

[elektra]

Maybe we need to invest in our rail infrastructure like other industrialized nations have

there are no other industrialized nations that are our size

air transport one the transportation war

 

[elektra]

That will be one awfully nice bullet train to Las Vegas, transversing the San Andreas fault faster than it can stop to save the thousands of lives on board once that earth quake hits.

There is no train track that will survive a nice 7.0 earth quake if it happens on one of the many faults this train will cross.

 

[The Duke]

TSA BS means the terrorists won.

 

[elektra]

This is actually pretty funny. People going to Las Vegas to play games of chance, on a bullet train taking a chance crossing all them faults between Vegas and Los Angeles.