There’s nothing out there, really – just heat, mountains, and sand. It would be perfect for a high-speed rail, which would be faster than a plane (given that you wouldn’t have go to through security, check luggage, etc) and might be able to get you closer to the downtown.

That all said, if it’s a worthwhile project, private enterprise will do it. If not, then there’s no reason to waste taxpayer dollars.

Once the rail line is built, will it get an annual subsidy to keep it going? Inquiring minds want to know.

Vashta.Nerada on February 12, 2009 at 10:18 AM

One word: AMTRAK.

You can drive from LA to LV in 4 hours or fly in 1 hour.

Exactly and what all insipid Democrat transportation plans have shown us is that people like to be in their own cars, regardless of Democrat’s attempt to herd us onto mass transit.

Which of course, Democrat politicians will never use. Just like they don’t drive the clown cars they want the rest of us to buy.

As a socal resident, I like the idea of a bullet train going to las vegas. But what awaits us there? A dozen huge, wealthy, casinos. Why aren’t the casinos paying for this? They will benefit, why shouldn’t they be the investors?

Honestly, I’ve always thought it was a good idea too. Contrary to what is written above, it is painful getting to/from Las Vegas – especially driving. With that said, I don’t understand why the casinos don’t take the initiative. They might even be able to get a waiver so that there is gambling on the train the whole way. Then again, they are in the business to make money so maybe they know something the legislators don’t know – that it is a losing prospect.

InCali on February 12, 2009 at 12:27 PM

You’re kidding, right? I lived in Long Beach for 5 years and made the drive to Vegas about a dozen times, even driving there and back in the same day one time when my son and his girlfriend came out on Spring Break. It’s a boring but easy drive. I would never have taken a train and lost the flexibility of having my own car. This is a disaster.

Southwest Airlines (major carrier to LV) = nonunion

Trains are just not as competitive & versatile in their ability to move goods & people as autos are.

Badger40 on February 12, 2009 at 12:30 PM

I think they could be tho if we could advance beyond these antiquated locomotives and move to high-speed bullet trains. Those who point out that airlines have largely rendered train travel obsolete for passengers probably do make a valid point (tho there’s always your handful of folks who are afraid to fly), but why can’t we move more freight by high-speed rail? It would have to be faster and cheaper, AND it would relieve some of the congestion on interstates. Of course this would put truckers out of work . . . heck, I don’t know the answer! All I do know is that if we’re going to build a high-speed rail system in this country, it needs to be left to the private sector or the thing will be hemmhoraging (sp?) cash before the first shovel breaks ground.

Trains are slow and expensive. Look at an Amtrak schedule and see how long it takes and how much it costs to get anywhere.

Trains work in Europe because everything is relatively close to everything else and connected to everything else. They don’t work here because of the size of this nation. Also, the Europeans move the majority of their freight on trucks and the majority of passengers on trains. That’s backwards.

And even if it’s a fast train, it will still be more expensive than flying. So why build in redundancy?

NoDonkey on February 12, 2009 at 11:37 AM

Amtrak closed it’s Bismarck station some years ago in ND. If you want to hop on the train, you gotta go way up N to Williston. It is also just like the bus-it takes forever to get anywhere & it’s more expensive.
Compared to flying out of Bismarck (no competition), the train is somewhat cheaper, but it’s basically like the bus ride from hell.
I still drive across country from ND to places like S IN bcs it’s actually cheaper than anything else I have the choice of.
Much of the goods moved in America are still by truck & though I’m not sure of the #s between goods moved on trains vs trucks, I bet trucks is higher.
Many railway lines were disassembled in the ’80s.
Farmers in our region have to pay what the monopolizing train companies charge bcs they are at their mercy. There is no competition.
Trains are just not as competitive & versatile in their ability to move goods & people as autos are.

As a socal resident, I like the idea of a bullet train going to las vegas. But what awaits us there? A dozen huge, wealthy, casinos. Why aren’t the casinos paying for this? They will benefit, why shouldn’t they be the investors?

Honestly, I’ve always thought it was a good idea too. Contrary to what is written above, it is painful getting to/from Las Vegas – especially driving. With that said, I don’t understand why the casinos don’t take the initiative. They might even be able to get a waiver so that there is gambling on the train the whole way. Then again, they are in the business to make money so maybe they know something the legislators don’t know – that it is a losing prospect.

And there is absolutely no need for it. You can drive from LA to LV in 4 hours or fly in 1 hour.

Not that this means anything, but correctness of fact is always good.

Why aren’t the casinos paying for this? They will benefit, why shouldn’t they be the investors?

Because they’re not stupid.

Few people will use it when they can drive there in four hours or fly there for less $ in one hour.

Trains are slow and expensive. Look at an Amtrak schedule and see how long it takes and how much it costs to get anywhere.

Trains work in Europe because everything is relatively close to everything else and connected to everything else. They don’t work here because of the size of this nation. Also, the Europeans move the majority of their freight on trucks and the majority of passengers on trains. That’s backwards.

And even if it’s a fast train, it will still be more expensive than flying. So why build in redundancy?

Harry Reid, as usual, is an idiot. This train is completely unnecessary and ridiculously expensive.

The Damn O Freakin Crap way. They just gave themselves a $93,000.00 a year raise that they do not pay taxes on???

“TEA PARTY TIME”

People like their $39 Southwest fares from LAX to LAS. And the Hollywood hoi polloi are never going to give up their chartered flights.

I actually think high-speed rail all over this country would be a fabulous idea. But if we have to rely on the government to provide it, I am not in the least bit hopeful it will be either profitable or efficient. When we were first building railroads in this country, and it was left to private enterprise to do it, the nation was criss-crossed with track in a matter of a few years. If we could leave it up to the private sector to build a high-speed rail system, it would have been finished already a couple of decades ago.

New employment and retail sales figures suggest that the worst may have passed and that the economy is starting to work its way out of the recession without any government action – and that includes the $790 billion porkfest (1,434 pages in total!)…