Passenger Trains > No Amtrak Service in Las Vegas,NV?

Good Morning Everyone. I was looking around and I realize there are no Amtrak trains that stop in Las Vegas? Will Las Vegas be served by Amtrak in the future? Also why are there no Amtrak trains in Las Vegas?

There's a long history of that situation on TrainOrders.

If you search Desert Wind and Las Vegas, you will learn much more than you cold ever imagine about the former service

No trains there - 20 years ago last month.

The Las Vegas market was willfully and deliberately abandoned by Amtrak, in one of its perennial and daft attempts to "cut its way to prosperity." I could go on, but I'll stop there.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

If its any consolation, Amtrak still serves Las Vegas....NM. Lol

How old are you?

The search turned up 2701 posts on the Desert Wind, the train that went through Las Vegas, NV. It was its own train from Salt lake City to Los Angeles and was combined with the California Zephyr/ Pioneer from Chicago to Salt Lake.

A train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas via Fullerton should be a no-brainer. Short distance, existing track, serviceable with conventional equipment, existing stations, lots of travelers. The states of NV and CA should cooperate and get this done. UP can be bought off with enough money.

When the Zephyr split in 3 at SLC, the Desert Wind was regarded as the weakest. The Pioneer had many more stops, and markets on its route. Amtrak also never leveraged its ability to get you to Yellowstone via Pocatello.

Amtrak is present in Las Vegas in the form of the California-funded Amtrak Thruway bus connections to the San Joaquin service.

But the OP's point is well-taken: if Amtrak doesn't serve America's premier tourist destination with its train service, then it's hard to argue that Amtrak is essential in Bismarck, Dayton, or Tallahassee.

DavidJustinLynch Wrote:
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> A train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas via
> Fullerton should be a no-brainer. Short distance,
> existing track, serviceable with conventional
> equipment, existing stations, lots of travelers.
> The states of NV and CA should cooperate and get
> this done. UP can be bought off with enough money.


So can we count on YOU to provide the bribe money to UP?
Because I do not want MY tax money used for it.

Las Vegas should be served, but restoring the Desert Wind is unthinkable. A day train from L.A. that turns at Las Vegas is enough... no sleepers, no diner. Plain transportation as an alternative to the highway and Southwest. If California and Nevada wanted to make it happen, they could. It's a state decision with political inputs and consequences. Don't look to Washington for an answer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/17 09:07 by ctillnc.

The moment for a quick deal has passed. NV Senator Harry Reid, the longtime Democratic leader in the Senate, had the means and the opportunity to do the restoration in 2009-2010. He chose not to.

(But speculating on DesertExpre$$ was fun. Where's bidhitter, haven't seen him in a while)

< if Amtrak doesn't serve America's premier tourist destination with its train service, then it's hard to argue that Amtrak is essential in Bismarck, Dayton, or Tallahassee.>

It is a lot harder to get to these other places by Air than Las Vegas.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/17 09:27 by joemvcnj.

If Las Vegas is America's premier tourist destination, California probably wouldn't want to support a train from Southern California with taxpayer money. They should be using that money to promote all of the California casinos and keep gambling money in state.


reindeerflame Wrote:
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> Amtrak is present in Las Vegas in the form of the
> California-funded Amtrak Thruway bus connections
> to the San Joaquin service.
>
> But the OP's point is well-taken: if Amtrak
> doesn't serve America's premier tourist
> destination with its train service, then it's hard
> to argue that Amtrak is essential in Bismarck,
> Dayton, or Tallahassee.

rantoul Wrote:
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> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > So can we count on YOU to provide the bribe
> > money to UP?
> > Because I do not want MY tax money used for it.
>
>
> BNSF controls Cajon Pass.

True, but Union Pacific was the party demanding big bucks for additional track in order to make the Cima Subdivision available again for passenger trains the last time a seemingly serious proposal arose. Amtrak already operates over Cajon Pass and, to my knowledge, BNSF has a fluid enough railroad that adding a few more passenger trains would not be complicated unless BNSF were in an extortionate mood.

ctillnc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Las Vegas should be served, but restoring the
> Desert Wind is unthinkable. A day train from L.A.
> that turns at Las Vegas is enough... no sleepers,
> no diner. Plain transportation as an alternative
> to the highway and Southwest. If California and
> Nevada wanted to make it happen, they could. It's
> a state decision with political inputs and
> consequences. Don't look to Washington for an
> answer.


That's great if you live in California. Not great if you live in Salt Lake and points east.

Grande473 Wrote:
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> The search turned up 2701 posts on the Desert
> Wind, the train that went through Las Vegas, NV.
> It was its own train from Salt lake City to Los
> Angeles and was combined with the California
> Zephyr/ Pioneer from Chicago to Salt Lake.

Yes and no. The DW did combine with the CZ in Salt Lake. But the in later years the Pioneer ran through Wyoming and was added to the Zephyr in Denver. They lost the Colorado scenery, but were able to serve western endpoints at a more reasonable time.

ctillnc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Las Vegas should be served, but restoring the
> Desert Wind is unthinkable. A day train from L.A.
> that turns at Las Vegas is enough... no sleepers,
> no diner. Plain transportation as an alternative
> to the highway and Southwest. If California and
> Nevada wanted to make it happen, they could. It's
> a state decision with political inputs and
> consequences. Don't look to Washington for an
> answer.

Like the Winter Park Express that ran out of Denver last winter.

But not too useful if you were in Grand Jct or SLC.