[Bruff]

XpressWest - the high speed rail (ad)venture that was granted the franchise to link Vegas with Victorville a year ago - is back in the news, this time with a progress report on how things are going. Money-wise, not too well, it appears. After ditching their Chinese partner, which was in the train business and had committed rolling stock expertise and $100 million, XcuseWest's main honcho appeared before the powers that be to explain that his company terminated the partnership because "The Chinese had difficulty meeting performance deadlines", but that a million-dollar ridership and revenue study - first due in August, now projected in January, 2017 - would raise the money.

Two questions:

First, you don't have a pot to pee in nor do you have experience in high speed rail. But you do have a partner with expertise, experience and rolling stock and willing to ante up $100M. Would you terminate the deal? (In other words, do you think there might be something else going down?).

Two, would you ride this train?

[Cold Warrior]

Two, would you ride this train?

I would ride it every time I go to Victorville.

[calisoccer99]

hope this train is never built, so stupid

[livintheratrace]

who goes to victorville's from LV?
who would go to victorville to ride the train to LV
who did the revenue study to even get this off the ground?
just saying....

[Buzz123]

We don't know because they've been talking about that dam train for about 50 years that I can remember. It seem they think Californians will drive to Victorville, park, and take the train. I seriously doubt it. But they have also talked about another train that will go into LA from north of Victorville. It's all too confusing, but it's never gonna happen anyway. Seriously, it's been talked about for at least 50 years in Las Vegas. They should have been working on a freeway between here and Phoenix, and here and Reno.

[logline]

I don't know how many times I have to type this until it sinks in. I say this every time this topic comes up: the train will not terminate at Victorville!

[BBMW]

^
Well, no, because it seems highly unlikely at this point it will ever get built.

[beachhead]

About the only idea I can think of dumber than this is jerry brown's "slow speed" rail to nowhere in commiefornia. I think it's well past time to let the 1800's ride off into the sunset, and focus on the future of transportation rather than the ancient past.

[crabtrees]

I've heard about this train my entire life. It's not going to happen. Why don't they spend that money and update Interstate 15? Intrastate commerce is traveling back and forth between the two states 24/7/365. I think it would be more beneficial long term. A train will only serve people going on vacation..and let's be honest, it will only serve SoCal residence going to Vegas. Nobody from Vegas is going to use that train to come out to Victorville. I don't understand why people even bother driving or being open to taking a train. There are at least 4 major airports in SoCal that each provide 5-10 flights to Vegas every single day. I can get a ticket on Southwest for $115 round trip after taxes most of the time. Sure, a train would be beneficial to those living in the Victorville area because it's out in the desert, but if you're living in Victorville you don't have money to spend in Vegas!

[LVAllen]

Originally Posted by livintheratrace

who goes to victorville's from LV?
who would go to victorville to ride the train to LV
who did the revenue study to even get this off the ground?
just saying....

Victorvillians who want to enjoy the Las Vegas night life?