A Bullet Train From LA To Vegas Is In The Works

A consortium of rail companies in China partnered with Xpress West Enterprises, a private company in the United States to build a high-speed railway connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

“As China’s first high-speed railway project in the United States, the project will be a landmark in overseas investment for the Chinese railway sector and serve as a model of international cooperation”, Yang Zhongmin, chairman of China Railway international, told Xinhua.

Analysts say the project could open up the underdeveloped US high-speed rail market.

Beijing recently clinched contracts in Russia, although it has faced hurdles in Mexico and Indonesia because of bureaucratic reversals of decisions in those countries.

Touted as being able to transport riders from Victorville to Vegas in about 80 minutes, the multi-billion project is expected to offer trains leaving every 20 minutes and tickets costing as little as $75, according to the Victorville Daily Press. XpressWest, a private venture by a Las Vegas-based hotel and casino developer, was given the green light in 2011 to construct and operate the 370 kilometre high-speed line, according to its website. Last week, the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRSC) broke ground on a factory in Springfield, Mass., where they will be making train cars for Boston’s subway system, making it the first Chinese rail manufacturer with a huge transit contract with the U.S.

“If this opens up the United States market for them, opportunities for future expansion will increase”, Wong said. “And if (their technology) is used in the United States, it will be easier for them to sell to other countries”. The firms did not elaborate on how the Chinese consortium would help accelerate the project. Construction on the railway is expected to begin in September 2016.

The same month, the Russian government signed a memorandum of cooperation on a high-speed railroad with Chinese officials.

Xi Jinping’s state visit to the U.S., is a milestone in China’s efforts to market its high-speed rail technology in advanced economies.

There are about a dozen high-speed rail projects in the US, but they have struggled to gain traction.