Passenger Trains > Virgin Trains-New Station Location Las Vegas

They are planning it between Warm Springs and Blue Diamond south of airport. Quite a distance from the main strip area. Service to begin in 2023. Yeah, right.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/tourism/vegas-to-la-high-speed-train-looking-more-realistic-1871032/

"...on Las Vegas Boulevard..."; that would seem to require some new tracks to be laid.

ORNHOO Wrote:
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> "...on Las Vegas Boulevard..."; that would seem to
> require some new tracks to be laid.

They plan to lay 185 miles of new tracks....

Posted from iPhone

True. The plan is new ROW along I-15 from Victorville to Vegas. No UP.

howeld Wrote:
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> ORNHOO Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > "...on Las Vegas Boulevard..."; that would seem
> to
> > require some new tracks to be laid.
>
> They plan to lay 185 miles of new tracks....
>
> Posted from iPhone

Is there any grades along the I-15? Its been too many years, Since I been on the I-15.


41bridge Wrote:
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> True. The plan is new ROW along I-15 from
> Victorville to Vegas. No UP.
>
> howeld Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ORNHOO Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > "...on Las Vegas Boulevard..."; that would
> seem
> > to
> > > require some new tracks to be laid.
> >
> > They plan to lay 185 miles of new tracks....
> >
> > Posted from iPhone

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

You think the monorail will get extended to the new station?

I would say unlikely. The cab companies have for years lobbied to keep it out of the airport. It would have to pass right by the airport to get to the site of the new  RR station. One man's opinion.


ts1457 Wrote:
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> You think the monorail will get extended to the
> new station?

41bridge Wrote:
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> I would say unlikely. The cab companies have for
> years lobbied to keep it out of the airport. It
> would have to pass right by the airport to get to
> the site of the new  RR station. One man's
> opinion.

Thanks, I guess the cab companies will love the VT station location.

As it notes in the article, one of the reasons for choosing the new station site is accompanying land for typical Virgin Trains USA real estate development. Probably a development near the scale of MiamiCentral Station which will include a variety of uses, much so more than the smaller stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

As far as being up and running by sometime in 2023, don't count them out. They are taking what the predecessor company already had in place and working forward with that. Much of the financing is in the works; this is not a "start at zero" situation. If they move as aggressively to build new track as they are here in Florida from Cocoa west to Orlando International Airport, they very well may meet that self-imposed deadline.

 

One other thought: With the legitimate publicity Virgin Trains USA is churning out, and visible, real progress being made as time goes by, anyone else who says they will launch a conventional train over Union Pacific tracks from Southern California to Las Vegas is going to be out of luck.

Twice now, news articles have mentioned Virgin will strike a deal with Metrolink to use tracks from Riverside into LAUPT or anywhere else they want to use on the system. That will make it a complete system, not dependent on any other "what ifs" such as the California Bullet Train being built.
 

I guess Virgin has talked with the UP. As UP owns the Riverside to LA tracks.
Metrolink wont have any saying on what the UP would say.

johnpage Wrote:
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> One other thought: With the legitimate publicity
> Virgin Trains USA is churning out, and visible,
> real progress being made as time goes by, anyone
> else who says they will launch a conventional
> train over Union Pacific tracks from Southern
> California to Las Vegas is going to be out of
> luck.
>
> Twice now, news articles have mentioned Virgin
> will strike a deal with Metrolink to use tracks
> from Riverside into LAUPT or anywhere else they
> want to use on the system. That will make it a
> complete system, not dependent on any other "what
> ifs" such as the California Bullet Train being
> built.
>  

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

GP25 Wrote:
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> I guess Virgin has talked with the UP. As UP owns
> the Riverside to LA tracks.
> Metrolink wont have any saying on what the UP
> would say.

Getting from Victorville over Cajon is the problem. VT is going via Palmdale.

GP25 Wrote:
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> Is there any grades along the I-15? Its been too
> many years, Since I been on the I-15.
>
>

There are a couple of big grades on I-15 between Baker, CA and Primm, NV. The one closest Primm is a doozy, especially headed west from Primm! But from what I remember, the route was to follow I-15 east of Barstow and then go around those grades somehow to the north of I-15 and then enter Las Vegas from the south.

Nathan

And VT will need to figure out where to put their station. The Palmdale Metrolink Station is on the west side.
And the VT trains will be coming from the other side. And I know the UP will not want anything close to their Line.
We know how the UP can be. They didnt want the CAHSR project next to their tracks.


ts1457 Wrote:
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> GP25 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I guess Virgin has talked with the UP. As UP
> owns
> > the Riverside to LA tracks.
> > Metrolink wont have any saying on what the UP
> > would say.
>
> Getting from Victorville over Cajon is the
> problem. VT is going via Palmdale.

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

41bridge Wrote:
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> They are planning it between Warm Springs and
> Blue Diamond south of airport. Quite a distance
> from the main strip area. Service to begin in
> 2023. Yeah, right.
>
> https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/tourism/veg
> as-to-la-high-speed-train-looking-more-realistic-1
> 871032/

in my mind after driving time to your originating train station and getting there early just in case there are traffic delays, travel time on the train, and then the time and expense of taking a taxi to your strip hotel from your destination station, i would think a lot of people would still drive...........

66

 

GP25 Wrote:
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> And VT will need to figure out where to put their
> station. The Palmdale Metrolink Station is on the
> west side.
> And the VT trains will be coming from the other
> side. And I know the UP will not want anything
> close to their Line.
> We know how the UP can be. They didnt want the
> CAHSR project next to their tracks.

I am curious how far out Metrolink's ROW ownership reaches on the Antelope Valley Line, and where UP's ownership starts?

Just watched the video - trains are to be totally electric and running by 2023, so in addition to ROW and laying track, they will need overhead catenary. Gee, what happens when the power company cuts power during Santa Ana winds? And how about the desert tortise lovers - have they been heard from yet? Sorry to be so cynical, but I see this just as pie-in-the-sky as the X-train a few years ago. Bidhitter, are you here?

Cumbresfan Wrote:
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> Just watched the video - trains are to be totally
> electric and running by 2023, so in addition to
> ROW and laying track, they will need overhead
> catenary. Gee, what happens when the power company
> cuts power during Santa Ana winds? And how about
> the desert tortise lovers - have they been heard
> from yet? Sorry to be so cynical, but I see this
> just as pie-in-the-sky as the X-train a few years
> ago. Bidhitter, are you here?

I found that interesting, but in a different way than you did. When Richard Branson took over the Las Vegas project, I seem to remember that he scaled it back to 120 mph diesel trains trying to lower the costs. 

In the thread below, Explosive growth for Virgin Trains USA in South Florida, Softbank is mentioned with the suggestion that it might be providing more funding. Perhaps the Japanese investors feel the need for speed? Anyhow more money may be available to VT now.

With 180 mph back in the mix, I am convinced more now than ever that he Las Vegas project has a phase 2, phase 3, and so on. I've seen lots of indications that VT will go to Palmdale. Perhaps phase 3 is for VT to build the proposed CAHSR segment between Palmdale and Burbank itself.

By the way, the Desert Tortoise is no problem. The Environmental Impact has already been done for the new construction.

VT is turning dirt, Orlando - Cocoa FL, so I do not see the Las Vegas project as pie-in-the-sky.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/19 21:41 by ts1457.

ts1457 Wrote:
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> GP25 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And VT will need to figure out where to put
> their
> > station. The Palmdale Metrolink Station is on
> the
> > west side.
> > And the VT trains will be coming from the other
> > side. And I know the UP will not want anything
> > close to their Line.
> > We know how the UP can be. They didnt want the
> > CAHSR project next to their tracks.
>
> I am curious how far out Metrolink's ROW ownership
> reaches on the Antelope Valley Line, and where
> UP's ownership starts?

Metrolink owns the Soledad line to just where the UP line curves east in South Palmdale. There is a interchange track there to The UP tracks. 

CPRR Wrote:
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> Metrolink owns the Soledad line to just where the
> UP line curves east in South Palmdale. There is a
> interchange track there to The UP tracks. 

Appreciate it. I'll take a look on a map.