Could a 300mph train from Disneyland to Las Vegas be on the way? A transportation bill just signed into law chips in $45 million to study the idea, which has a maglev (magnetic levitation) train similar to the Shanghai SMT in the picture above making the 260-mile run from fantasyland to sleazetown in just under two hours. If you’ve ever driven this 4-hour+ route across the desert, you know how long and monotonous that trek can seem, so this double-quick passage would be warmly welcomed.
Let’s not bet on this just yet, though. That $45 million grant is a drop in the bucket compared to the enormous cost of these high-speed maglev trains. In fact, that amount of funding would be enough for about 1.5 miles of track. Nevertheless, the $45 million is a good start for environmental studies, and it’s great news that trains such as this and the 220mph California Bullet Train are even being discussed in the train-dumb United States.
Via Daily Tech
editor@dvice.com
By Dave T at 3:37 PM ON 06/13/08
I really doubt that the Disney folks appreciate their property being called "sleazetown".
Dave T (in LV)
By dancesonsnow at 4:50 PM ON 06/13/08
I repeat part of my comment for the 220mph California Bullet Train post word for word:
"these projects tend to have a history of getting squashed by regional airlines that like the large amounts of money they get on these short hops. Thats what happened the past few times they tried to build one from LA to Vegas."
By IsoTek at 5:41 PM ON 06/13/08
Dave T: I think he was refering to Las Vegas as the "Sleazetown". Still probably uncalled for though.
By murc at 6:50 PM ON 06/13/08
Dave T - LMAO
IsoTek - its called sarcasm.
By commandersprocket at 11:29 PM ON 06/13/08
Too big, too monolithic, it's going to have a 300 mph max speed, but it's going to average way less after it stops 10 times for 10 minutes a stop between Anaheim and Las Vegas, so a 200 mile drive that normally takes 200 minutes, takes 60 minutes of travel time and 100 minutes of time waiting for the train to stop and pick somebody up. Skytran would be a better and cheaper solution (and the same money that would create the train between LA and LS would create a grid of tracks between SF, LA, and LS).
By Mark at 10:57 AM ON 06/14/08
Maglev is definitely a choice for FUTURE transportation due to high oil prices, low maintenance cost (approx 35 cents per mile VS 5$ per mile for conventional train)... MAGLEV can replace airplanes, cars, conventional trains...
MAGLEV is only a one time billions of dollars of investment... but still better than people spent billions of dollars on OIL EVERYDAY!
Think about this: let's say 100 years from today, all oil are used up, or oil prices will hit 1000$ per barrell, then who can afford to travel by airplane? or driving? no one afford this $$$.
Maglev is definitely the best transportation system in the future.
May be one day... we have a chance to see a MAGLEV travelling from New York to San Francisco!
By sdun9999 at 3:10 PM ON 06/14/08
If cost is a concern then just import cheap labor from Mexico or other Third-World countries to work on it.
Union people may not like it. They like to protect their high wages.
China didn't have this problem because of their abundant cheap labor pool.
By Ven at 8:02 PM ON 07/13/08
Makes more sense for them to just build a standard HSR capable of 220-225mph.
By Jake G at 11:23 AM ON 11/05/08
dude holy shit wicked expensive...and dont call disneyland sleasy maybe ur sleasy..havent u been there before!!!