LAS VEGAS, NV. (Pain In The Pass) >> Virgin Trains USA recently received unanimous approval bond from the Nevada State Board. This will help finance the high-speed train project to connect Las Vegas with Southern California.
Nevada officials have approved and issuing up to $200 million tax-exempt private activity bonds associated with the construction of the high-speed rail system XpressWest, the parent company of the Virgin Trains project, during a meeting last Friday.
The project also received approval for up to $750 million in bond allocation from the federal government.
“This project is a long time coming to Nevada and I’m pleased to take this step forward to bring this vision to reality and bring additional jobs to our state,” Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said in a statement.
The proposed high-speed train would begin at a station near Blue Diamond Road and Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, run south along Interstate 15 and end in Victorville/Apple Valley, California off of Dale Evans Pkwy.
Virgin Trains will offer a car-free option and a fully electric, zero-emission train. The company estimates the project will remove three million cars annually from I-15 freeway and will eliminate an estimated one million tons of carbon over a 10-year period.
It’s estimated that the rail corridor between the Las Vegas and Victorville/Apple Valley will carry approximately 10 million passengers per year.
Trains will travel at top speeds of 200 miles per hour and the one-way trip is expected to take 85 minutes.
The rail system is pegged for completion in 2023.
When this part 1 is finished, they will start part 2, a high speed train to Los Angeles. They are still working on the details on the route to LA.
There are two possible routes from Victorville:
- Cajon Pass – San Bernardino – LA
- Palmdale – San Fernando Valley – LA
Cajon Pass is something of a rail bottleneck, so it will require a lot of extra construction. San Bernardino – LA should be easy.
Palmdale – San Fernando Valley would be a rather twisty track through some mountainous terrain. The San Fernando Valley – LA should be easy.
Check back for new updates on the high-speed train project.
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