Bush signs bill with $45 million for Maglev train from Vegas to LA

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Plans for a levitating train from Las Vegas to Disneyland can move forward under a transportation bill signed by President Bush on Friday that frees up $45 million for the futuristic project.

Derided by critics as pie in the sky, the train would use magnetic levitation technology to carry passengers from Disneyland to Las Vegas in well under two hours, traveling at speeds of up to 300 mph. It would be the first MagLev system in the U.S.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9...;show_article=1

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Plans for a levitating train from Las Vegas to Disneyland can move forward under a transportation bill signed by President Bush on Friday that frees up $45 million for the futuristic project.

Derided by critics as pie in the sky, the train would use magnetic levitation technology to carry passengers from Disneyland to Las Vegas in well under two hours, traveling at speeds of up to 300 mph. It would be the first MagLev system in the U.S.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9...;show_article=1

This is good. High speed trains are needed.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

$45 million is a bit of a joke, though.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

$45 million is a bit of a joke, though.

Why? The alternatives much cheaper? And as attractive in terms of travel times etc? As large as the US is, I think this type of transportation is where we need to go on a regional basis. These trains can easily compete with airlines in terms of the time it takes to get from here to there.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

$45 million sounds like too little. For example there's a project under consideration in my area called the Lackawanna cutoff which is supposed to re-establish conventional rail service from Scranton PA to Hoboken NJ using existing rail lines and existing bridges (after rehabilitation). The cost? Half a billion.

I don't see how $45 million is anything more than a token.

[Amby 490]

I agree with dog. I think trains are needed in the US. I'd have to travel 2-3hrs to take a train somewhere!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

$45 million sounds like too little. For example there's a project under consideration in my area called the Lackawanna cutoff which is supposed to re-establish conventional rail service from Scranton PA to Hoboken NJ using existing rail lines and existing bridges (after rehabilitation). The cost? Half a billion.

I don't see how $45 million is anything more than a token.

Well, I guess that's a good point. They talked about a commuter rail project to link Orlando and Tampa and what I found searching it real quick was in that same range - 450MM. And that's a stretch of less than 100 miles. So, if high speed Maglev is to be had for 45MM on a 250 mile stretch, I say it's a no brainer. Let's build it.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The Chinese have a maglev train, it goes 20 miles, from Shanghai airport to the outskirts.

It cost 1.2 billion to build.

[MrsCat 6]

The Chinese have a maglev train, it goes 20 miles, from Shanghai airport to the outskirts.

It cost 1.2 billion to build.

Perhaps the cost differential has to do with labour - like cheap (ahem . . . . illegal) labour readily available in California? That'd save a few bucks.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The Chinese have prison slaves. Beat that.

[Amby 490]

mexicans in so cal are treated like prison slaves!

[MrsCat 6]

Sir - I bow the one-upmanship.

Even my pack of destitute donkeys willing to work for corn costs more than slaves.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Another one:

Japan's fourth-largest city, Nagoya, will open an 8.9km elevated double-track metro line, based on magnetic levitation, in March 2005.

...

The line will cost about Yen 60 billion ($US 574.8 million) and the aluminium Linimo trains, built by Nippon Sharyo with Sumitomo air suspensions, will cost Yen 40.5 billion.

Edited June 7, 2008 by VJ Troll

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The Chinese have a maglev train, it goes 20 miles, from Shanghai airport to the outskirts.

It cost 1.2 billion to build.

I know, I know. It's the old Transrapid concept that was developed in Germany but scrapped there because it was too damn expensive. I think the Chinese line is the only actual application of this technology today. It may eventually become attractive - when flying gets so expensive that the cost of this type of transportation starts to seem reasonable. Until then, we're probably stuck with the classic rail system.

Edited June 7, 2008 by Mr. Big Dog

[Marlita 0]

Whoa!! This would be really cool if it happened. I would be in Vegas ALL the time since I live near Disney. I venture to guess that a whole lot of others SoCAL residents would be too. Traffic on a friday afternoon into Vegas can take you up to 8 hours!!! It should only take 3-4 tops!