Futuristic Plan for Train to Las Vegas Moves Ahead

SACRAMENTO — A futuristic plan for high-speed train service between Southern California and Las Vegas won legislative support for the first time Wednesday when an Assembly committee approved creation of a two-state commission empowered to build and operate the line.

By a vote of 9 to 1, the Assembly Transportation Committee approved a bill by its chairman, Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda), that opens the door for serious consideration of a train that could travel from Ontario to Las Vegas in as little as 70 minutes.

Katz said the bill would prohibit the expenditure of any California tax dollars on the project, which has long been proposed by the City of Las Vegas as a way of attracting more gamblers from the Los Angeles area.

And acknowledging that the high-speed train would bring little economic benefit to Southern California, Katz said he hoped his bill would enable California officials to extract concessions from builders of the line to improve congested freeways or extend the rail line to other points in the region.

“I look at this as an opportunity to solve some of our other problems,” he told the committee. “This commission (is) my way of bringing them to the table and seeing what they’re willing to do to make this project viable for Southern California.”

As proposed by Las Vegas, the line would use either new, magnetically levitated trains that reach speeds of 300 m.p.h. being developed in West Germany, or more conventional high-speed trains built by the French that travel at least 170 m.p.h.

Randal Walker, deputy city manager of Las Vegas, testified that economic studies sponsored by the city have shown that the line would be feasible to build and operate.

“The idea is not only possible, but it would make a profit,” he said.

Backers of the proposal expect that a foreign manufacturer of the new rail system would finance construction of the line to demonstrate the new technology in the United States.

Under Las Vegas’ initial proposal, the City of Ontario would be the Southern California terminus of the line, which would also run through Victorville and Barstow.

But Ontario Mayor Howard Y. Snider told the committee that his city opposes both the rail line and Katz’s bill because of the fear that it would increase traffic congestion and air pollution.

Katz responded that it would be the job of the commission to select a site for a station and that there are a number of possible locations. “If Ontario doesn’t want it, I see no reason to put it there,” he said.

The commission, which would be funded entirely by Las Vegas, would be composed of seven members each from California and Nevada and would have the authority to select a route, construct the line and operate the system.

However, both the California and Nevada legislatures must approve the route and terminals before construction could begin. In addition, the commission must comply with all California environmental requirements.

Katz stressed that his bill is much different from the controversial Los Angeles-to-San Diego “bullet train” legislation that was rammed through the Legislature in 1982, exempting the project from environmental restrictions and ignoring the views of cities along the route.

“We are very sensitive to the controversy that surrounded the San Diego train proposal years ago,” Katz said. “This is going to be done by the numbers. It’s going to be done very cautiously, very carefully. Local input will be there from day one.”