BY: ROB HOFFMAN
Two of America’s most notorious cities are about to join hands with a new bullet train that could change the face of south-western travel, tourism and economy. XpressWest, a private railroad company, is collaborating with China Railway International, to construct what has been dubbed the Southwest Rail Network. The bullet train will run between the cities of Los Angeles and Las Vegas, travelling at a whiplash-enducing 150 mph/240 kph to give people a heightened opportunity of American exploration.
The train will allow passengers to commute the 230 mile/370 kilometre stretch between the two major cities in 80 minutes, less than an hour and a half. That’s worth reiterating—a once four-hour drive has been reduced to almost a quarter of its length. With that type of speed, Vegas locals can find work in Los Angeles, and vice versa. Los Angeles residents can make day trips to Las Vegas. The network of tourism between the two cities is surely about to explode.
A number of boarding stations in LA and Las Vegas, as well as a number of stops residing between the two major hubs. So far, according to XpressWest, the cities include “Las Vegas,
Nevada, Victorville, California, and Palmdale, California, and service throughout Los Angeles.”
The initial investment for the Southwest Rail Network is $100 million; however the entire project will require something closer to $7 billion. The money will come partially from private investment and government funding. Though it comes with a heavy bill, XpressWest is expecting the railway to create a significant number of jobs and pump the region’s economy.
According to Iflscience, the environmental impact assessment checks out, and XpressWest claims that construction could begin “as early as September 2016.”
The bullet train marks the beginning of a new face of travel, combining the experience and convenience of the train, with the speed of an airplane. What’s next? Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a New York to San Francisco route.
Sources: xpresswest.com, iflscience.com
