MagLev Train From CA to Las Vegas Gets Funding

[Gard]

Was just reading about this online and thought it was rather interesting. Would be nice to see more of these types of trains. It will be the first MagLev train system int the US and will reach speads up to 300mph, getting you from L.A. to Las Vegas in under 2 hours. It uses magnetic levitation to basically float over the tracks, really cool stuff:

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080606/D914R5LG1.html

[senatormatt]

this is great...but uhhh....how many maglev miles can be funded for 40 million dollars? this project sounds like it could cost half a billion, if not billions of dollars.

and will there be a disneyland - los angeles shuttle?

[Norfolk4Life]

there are other maglev projects in the US. none, to my knowledge, operate properly. Old Dominion University, here in Norfolk, VA, has spent over $20 million on a 3200 ft track and it still is not operational and there are no stations, just track. there are few in-service maglevs in the world. China (which builds very low-cost compared to the US) built is Shanghai maglev for nearly $80 million a mile.

[Neo]

there are other maglev projects in the US. none, to my knowledge, operate properly. Old Dominion University, here in Norfolk, VA, has spent over $20 million on a 3200 ft track and it still is not operational and there are no stations, just track. there are few in-service maglevs in the world. China (which builds very low-cost compared to the US) built is Shanghai maglev for nearly $80 million a mile.

Ah, I didn't realize that maglev was being built elsewhere here in the US other than test facilities. The technology certainly hasn't caught on, particularly here in the US.

[Mobius57]

The Old Dominion track is more of a test line anyway. They are still working on it and if they can get it right they will eventually turn it into a transportation system for the students. The scientists there are working on making maglev for urban transport and maglev overall a more plausable option for transit. Right now its too expensive and smaller systems don't work too well.