(The following article by Tatiana Prophet was posted on the Victorville Daily Press on June 5.)
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Southern Californians could park their cars in Victorville and be in Vegas in little more than an hour, if a privately funded high-speed train gains momentum.
According to a “work plan” document obtained by the Daily Press, DesertXpress Enterprises Inc. is in talks with federal, state and local agencies about a 200-mile, high-speed train system with stations in Victorville and Las Vegas. According to the documents, the train would have a top speed of 125 mph.
According to a schedule included with the document, the entire governmental and public review process is expected to be completed by January 2008.
Two possible routes are on the table: one to run partly within the median of Interstate 15 and partly parallel to existing railroad tracks, and the other to run parallel to I-15 on the north side.
DesertXpress would run on “new, high-quality double track” with elevated crossings.
Thomas Stone, president of DesertXpress, said he was not ready to comment on the project.
Warren Flatau, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, said the agency was beginning an environmental impact statement on DesertXpress, in conjunction with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.
“ As required by law, when you do a project of this scope and magnitude, there has to be an environmental impact assessment process,” Flatau said.
The EIS will be led by the FRA, while a state-level environmental impact review will be conducted according to state environmental law.
Areas studied in the assessment include: impact on land use plans for the areas involved; growth projections; community impact; possible relocation of property users in the planned area of the stations; rail ridership; emissions during and after the project; aesthetics; and cultural and paleontological impact.
Public scoping meetings are tentatively set to take place in Victorville, Barstow and Las Vegas at the end of June, according to the document.