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Allen Dee

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
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305
Location
Santa Barbara, CA
Has any one heard the status of the proposed new train service between LA and Vegas that was supposed to start either late this year or early next year?

The last thing I saw was an article in a Vegas newspaper in July stating that they were still in the works.

It is also my understanding that this service is funded entirely by the state of Nevada
 
NARP's Wheels of Progress still lists a startup sometime in 2003. However, I seem to recall having seen something recently that said it might start in the summer of 2003.

Beyond that and what Viewliner mentioned about using Surfliners, there hasn't been too much in the news with regard to Las Vegas specifically.

That said however, according to the new budget that David Gunn just released this week, all future service expansions have been put on hold for the entire fiscal year of October 2002 - September 2003. So unless Congress steps in with some extra funding it looks very doubtful that we will see any Amtrak expansion this coming year.

His new budget has put everything on hold, this includes the FEC (Florida East Coast), the extension of the Crescent to Texas, the extension of the Kentucky Cardinal, and few other planned expansions.

If you are correct that Las Vegas and/or Nevada plans to fully fund the Las Vegas service, this means covering all loses incurred to operate this train, then it may still startup next year. However if Amtrak is expected to shoulder any of the burden, then it will be put on indefinite hold.
 
In that article from the Washington Post it mentioned a lot of major work to the NEC will be put on hold, does this meen the Hudson Tube repair projects stop? Also if service were expanded to Sim City wouldn't more Surfliners have to be manufactured?
 
Amfleet said:
In that article from the Washington Post it mentioned a lot of major work to the NEC will be put on hold, does this meen the Hudson Tube repair projects stop? Also if service were expanded to Sim City wouldn't more Surfliners have to be manufactured?
Do you mean Sin City? Sim City is a computer game. I would think that since its funded it will continue.
 
First I'm going to assume that you mean the repairs to the tunnels under the Hudson River, since the "Hudson Tubes" is the former name for the PATH system that was destroyed in the WTC attacks.

The tunnel project has some separate funding from the annual budget. The feds have given some money, the State of NJ is also contributing some monies, and some was supposed to have come out of the budget. So this would mean that unless Washington sends some more extra money, that the project will continue but it may slow down a little when the current monies run out and Amtrak has to dip into it's annual budget.

The budget was mentioned in that Washington Post article, but you can also find many other stories around including this story from Trains.com.
 
Viewliner said:
I know that its now supposed to use Surfliners instead of Talgos.
Where did you get the information that Surfliners would be substituted for Talgos? Also, has the track work in the Mojave desert been completed?
 
AlanB said:
NARP's Wheels of Progress still lists a startup sometime in 2003. However, I seem to recall having seen something recently that said it might start in the summer of 2003.
Beyond that and what Viewliner mentioned about using Surfliners, there hasn't been too much in the news with regard to Las Vegas specifically.

That said however, according to the new budget that David Gunn just released this week, all future service expansions have been put on hold for the entire fiscal year of October 2002 - September 2003. So unless Congress steps in with some extra funding it looks very doubtful that we will see any Amtrak expansion this coming year.

His new budget has put everything on hold, this includes the FEC (Florida East Coast), the extension of the Crescent to Texas, the extension of the Kentucky Cardinal, and few other planned expansions.

If you are correct that Las Vegas and/or Nevada plans to fully fund the Las Vegas service, this means covering all loses incurred to operate this train, then it may still startup next year. However if Amtrak is expected to shoulder any of the burden, then it will be put on indefinite hold.
According to Amtrak California's website, the Las Vegas trains are to be funded entirely by the state of Nevada. The reason for this funding was simple. I-15 is currently being widened from Las Vegas to the California state line from 2 lanes in each direction to 3. Had it not been for the rail option, the roadway would have had to widened to 4 lanes in each direction.

The state of Nevada is adopting California's logic, spend more money on rails and less on highways.
 
Viewliner said:
Click Here for the story, and you can even watch the video.
Thanks for the tip, Viewliner!

It looks like, for the time being, that my trips from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas will remain status quo: Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and Amtrak Thruway Bus (Greyhound) from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Even though I would rather ride the train all the way, my trips to Las Vegas in the past have always been very enjoyable (even the bus rides).

You should be commended for your extensive knowledge of the transportation industry, especially at your young age.
 
Thanks but a lot of us here are young and very knowledgable like Amfleet and Battalion51. I just remembered the article and did a search. Alan is absolutely right if the states and feds both help it'll make a difference.
 
Viewliner said:
If only we could get every state to realize that.
It works here! Without state funding, Amtrak's presence in California would be minimal. California has the largest SST program by far in the nation. If it works here, it can work in your state.

So why aren't you and your supporters pushing your state legislators for similar programs?

California is the land of the SUV's, but we still have this wonderful rail system. I could spend a whole week travelling Amtrak's train and bus routes in California and never ride them all.

It's up to YOU to get similar systems established in your states!
 
Amfleet said:
In that article from the Washington Post it mentioned a lot of major work to the NEC will be put on hold, does this meen the Hudson Tube repair projects stop? Also if service were expanded to Sim City wouldn't more Surfliners have to be manufactured?
Amtrak would probably just replace a few of the Surfliners with Amfleet/Horizon train sets. I do miss the super domes.
 
"Any Viewliner Questions" beat your would be record in a little over 3(23 minutes) hours. So it shouldn't be a concern.
 
If & when this service starts///whats the projected running times ???

Would it run day or night...???
 
I'm geussing one train will be run out in the morning and that train turned around for an evening run. I don't know the travel times, but I'll take a guess of between 3-6 hours. If anyone has an old Desert Wind schedule that would tell.
 
Amfleet said:
I'm geussing one train will be run out in the morning and that train turned around for an evening run. I don't know the travel times, but I'll take a guess of between 3-6 hours. If anyone has an old Desert Wind schedule that would tell.
The running time was supposed to be 5 1/2 hours. I never saw any mention of frequency. They did lay several miles of track in the desert, so I don't imagine they did this for one train in each direction. My guess is that they would try to make this a corridor operation, nothing like the Desert Wind. Trying to find out information about this project is very difficult.
 
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