# Las Vegas Xpress/X-Train Starting In 2019?



## Philly Amtrak Fan (Nov 22, 2018)

Happy Thanksgiving!

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/11/x-train-planning-california-las-vegas-service-in-2019

Note this is not Xpress West/Brightline/Virgin America. Also, they decided to forget about Amtrak altogether.


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## TinCan782 (Nov 22, 2018)

Interesting. Seeing how the X-Train saga played out, would this one succeed? It seemed to me the 2013 concept was a lot of talk (hype) with nothing delivered.

If they beat Xpress West/Brightline/Virgin to the punch, would UP and BNSF then agree to two competing private trains on their  ROW's?

I'll sit back and watch this unfold.


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## cirdan (Nov 22, 2018)

I don't thgink Xpres West and Xtrain are necessarily rivals as one is seeking an efficient and fast trip and the other is seeking to make the trip istself a central part of the attraction. I expect they will also be competing in different price classes


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## cpotisch (Nov 22, 2018)

Philly Amtrak Fan said:


> Happy Thanksgiving!
> 
> http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/11/x-train-planning-california-las-vegas-service-in-2019
> 
> Note this is not Xpress West/Brightline/Virgin America. Also, they decided to forget about Amtrak altogether.


A small point, but just so you know, Virgin America is/was the airline. Brightline will be Virgin Trains USA.


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## jis (Nov 22, 2018)

FrensicPic said:


> Interesting. Seeing how the X-Train saga played out, would this one succeed? It seemed to me the 2013 concept was a lot of talk (hype) with nothing delivered.
> If they beat Xpress West/Brightline/Virgin to the punch, would UP and BNSF then agree to two competing private trains on their  ROW's?
> I'll sit back and watch this unfold.


What makes you think Virgin Train would want to use BNSF or UP right of way?


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## TinCan782 (Nov 22, 2018)

I'll re-read the article later, but didn't the article mention negotiating with UP and BNSF?


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## cpotisch (Nov 22, 2018)

FrensicPic said:


> I'll re-read the article later, but didn't the article mention negotiating with UP and BNSF?


You bet it did.



> Las Vegas Xpress, Inc., expects to procure and refurbish Bombardier multi-level commuter cars and have them running between San Bernardino, Calif., and the gambling mecca by mid-2019. Trains would utilize BNSF Railway and Union Pacific tracks which, until 1997, hosted Amtrak’s Desert Wind and before that, UP’s City of Los Angeles and City of Las Vegas.
> 
> *Barron tells Trains News Wire contractual details of agreements with Union Pacific, BNSF,* and Las Vegas’ Plaza Hotel and Casino for a platform on the site of Amtrak’s former station have yet to be finalized. But, he says, “I can tell you in general terms that we have successfully revisited the opportunity of running this train again.”


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## Anderson (Nov 23, 2018)

Interesting.  I'll be curious to see what he comes up with this time around...and I will say that if this comes to pass alongside the Virgin project, I fully expect a merger within a few years.

That being said, with the flop that happened last time, I'm skeptical as hell about his ability to pull anything together.


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## jis (Nov 23, 2018)

FrensicPic said:


> I'll re-read the article later, but didn't the article mention negotiating with UP and BNSF?


Where does it say anything about Virgin Train or Brightline using BNSF or UP RoW?


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## TinCan782 (Nov 23, 2018)

jis said:


> Where does it say anything about Virgin Train or Brightline using BNSF or UP RoW?


*No, the article doesn't state that Virgin/Brightline intends to use BNSF/UP ROW*; it doesn't state that they intend to acquire their own ROW either.  

Yes, the article is centered around X-Train. _*Las Vegas Xpress, Inc.,* expects to procure and refurbish Bombardier multi-level commuter cars and have them running between San Bernardino, Calif., and the gambling mecca by mid-2019. *Trains would utilize BNSF Railway and Union Pacific tracks *which, until 1997, hosted Amtrak’s Desert Wind and before that, UP’s City of Los Angeles and City of Las Vegas._

Thanks for bringing that to my attention.


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## Andrew (Dec 8, 2018)

Will these trains be diesel powered or electric powered like the Acela Express?


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## Anderson (Dec 9, 2018)

The indications in all announcements with this are for diesel engines. There's no electrification to speak of out there and this isn't XpressWest.

Edit: Honestly, based on project history, the real power source is hot air.


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## bretton88 (Dec 10, 2018)

Anderson said:


> The indications in all announcements with this are for diesel engines. There's no electrification to speak of out there and this isn't XpressWest.
> 
> Edit: Honestly, based on project history, the real power source is hot air.


Gotta push that penny stocks price up!


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