[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

The train will have limited ability to ease congestion as it starts in Victorville. Once you've battled the LA traffic and made it though the Cajon Pass which was built in 1969, it is usually fast driving to get to Las Vegas. Most people won't stop and wait for a train and pay the additional money.

Many people feel the train will be filled primarily with ticketholders that were comped by casinos.

There can be delays of many hours from Primm to St Rose Pkwy on the I15 if you try to enter Las Vegas on a Friday or leave on a Sunday.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

There can be delays of many hours from Primm to St Rose Pkwy on the I15 if you try to enter Las Vegas on a Friday or leave on a Sunday.

I didn't say no one will use the train, but a terminus near Disneyland would be a hundred times more popular.

[Merrily Gather]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

The train will have limited ability to ease congestion as it starts in Victorville. Once you've battled the LA traffic and made it though the Cajon Pass which was built in 1969, it is usually fast driving to get to Las Vegas. Most people won't stop and wait for a train and pay the additional money.

Many people feel the train will be filled primarily with ticketholders that were comped by casinos.

What about with the bottle neck in Primm driving home every Sunday? The news showed impatient drivers driving on the shoulder this past holiday weekend cuz they were sitting there for four hours. That's the main congestion I consider.

Interesting point about the discount tickets from Casinos. I like the suggestion to start in LA or at Disney land but someone already mentioned to me in a previous thread when I asked why they didn't do that instead was because of the trouble getting through the canyon.

Personally, I'd rather take the train to LA than drive. Less worry about getting a driving ticket when the force is out over the holiday weekends too.

[Willy702]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

The train will have limited ability to ease congestion as it starts in Victorville. Once you've battled the LA traffic and made it though the Cajon Pass which was built in 1969, it is usually fast driving to get to Las Vegas. Most people won't stop and wait for a train and pay the additional money.

Many people feel the train will be filled primarily with ticketholders that were comped by casinos.

If you are worthy of a comp from a casino these days, you get something better than a train ticket from Victorville unless you live around there.

The train might get some passengers on busy weekends as 200mph through the desert is a lot better than the multiple choke points from Las Vegas to Victorville. You get slowed all the way to Stateline, can get a bit of a backup at the agricultural checkpoint just past Stateline, Baker can slow a bit if its really busy and then the junction in Barstow can be bad at times as well. Unfortunately won't do anything for the Cajon Pass, but that's an impossible grade to get around with a fast train.

I'm guessing they may set up some bus shuttles for peak times to take you down to San Bernadino station where you can catch a train into LA or down into Anaheim. Can serve as a temporary bandaid until high speed rail makes it to Palmdale. They almost have to do something or else this becomes the LV Monorail.

[VLWH]

Originally Posted by Merry Lee Gather

What about with the bottle neck in Primm driving home every Sunday? The news showed impatient drivers driving on the shoulder this past holiday weekend cuz they were sitting there for four hours. That's the main congestion I consider.

Interesting point about the discount tickets from Casinos. I like the suggestion to start in LA or at Disney land but someone already mentioned to me in a previous thread when I asked why they didn't do that instead was because of the trouble getting through the canyon.

Personally, I'd rather take the train to LA than drive. Less worry about getting a driving ticket when the force is out over the holiday weekends too.

It sounds like they may get little activity on weekends but commutes on weekdays seem like the trains will probably run pretty much empty.

I know there are several issues preventing the build to Los Angeles, but starting at Victorville is not going to attract enough commuters. Once the train can go LA to/from LV with a travel time under two hours and a cost comparable to flying/driving, you’ll get a large number of commuters.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Merry Lee Gather

Personally, I'd rather take the train to LA than drive. Less worry about getting a driving ticket when the force is out over the holiday weekends too.

Single Drivers may take train more than drivers with passengers. If for no other reason than it saves you 370 miles of driving (round trip) which would cost most people 10-15 gallons of gasoline. In addition there may be a parking fee at your resort. That may not be enough to pay for a train ticket, but it certainly makes the train ticket less costly.

If you throw in a speeding ticket, then the train would win.

Originally Posted by Willy702

If you are worthy of a comp from a casino these days, you get something better than a train ticket from Victorville unless you live around there.

It doesn't have to be the only comp. But if you can get people relaxed and hopefully gambling on wifi when they cross the Nevada border, it might be worth it.

[BBMW]

Given how politics has shifted in Clark County, you're obviously wrong.

Originally Posted by tijlover

And the many Californians who move to Sinless city are the conservative, no-more-tax types, adding to the conservatism of Sinless City, overriding the wishes of the natives here.

[BBMW]

Vegas is different than those cities in that it's much more tourism driving. Those cities have tourism, but it isn't the huge percentage driver of airport traffic that it is in Vegas. And the tourism business in Vegas has been pushing upscale. The casino don't want the budget vacationers any more, the want people who spend money without thinking about it too much. And what kind of ground transportation do those people want. Assume they don't want to rent a car.

Would they want to schlep their bags to a train station, wait for a train to show up (likely in an unairconditioned outdoor station), then get off the train somewhere deep in the back of the property they're staying at (look at where the monorail stations are), and schlep their bags again across the length of the property to the front desk.

Alternately, they book their Uber/Lift while they're taxiing in to terminal. They then roll to the pick up area (which is likely to be closer to the terminal that a train station that hasn't been built yet, and so will probably be out in the distance) get in the car, which will take them directly to port cochere of the property, where a bellman will take their bags, and they have a short walk to the front desk (because this is how the properties were built.) Which do you think the higher end visitors the Vegas casinos are courting will prefer?

Originally Posted by tijlover

Typical? Fly into Salt Lake City, Denver, Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix and L.A., and there's a train waiting for you to zip you into the city. The problem with Sinless City is there's 9-10,000 taxi drivers, and they create a huge lobbying force for the Clark County Commissioners. Add to that, an extremely conservative populace!

[DenverBrian]

Originally Posted by BBMW

Would they want to schlep their bags to a train station, wait for a train to show up (likely in an unairconditioned outdoor station),

How is this likely? Every train station I've been in has had an air conditioned waiting area. Weird what-if statement.

Alternately, they book their Uber/Lift while they're taxiing in to terminal. They then roll to the pick up area

...which is outdoors, filthy, and 100% NOT air conditioned; and for which folks are waiting up to ah hour to catch an Uber/Lyft because of the current shortage of drivers.

You're actually making the case for train travel.

[BBMW]

Have you been to the Vegas monorail stations? But yeah, if they built a rail station at whatever they're calling McCarren this week, they'd probably try to enclose and air condition it.

OTOH if you've scheduled your rideshare to meet you there, you won't be waiting long. You'll know when they're showing up, and can go out just in time.

Originally Posted by DenverBrian

How is this likely? Every train station I've been in has had an air conditioned waiting area. Weird what-if statement.

...which is outdoors, filthy, and 100% NOT air conditioned; and for which folks are waiting up to ah hour to catch an Uber/Lyft because of the current shortage of drivers.

You're actually making the case for train travel.