China To Join Effort To Build High-Speed Rail From LA To Vegas
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — An American company that has labored for a decade to build a high-speed train between Southern California and Las Vegas is hoping help from China will get the project on track.
XpressWest said in a written statement Thursday it has partnered with a newly formed company called China Railway International.
XpressWest says it received $100 million in initial capital and "implementation" will begin within 100 days.
What that means is unclear. The statement was short on details, and the person who answered the phone at XpressWest's offices could not elaborate, the Associated Press reported.
The project has approval to go from Las Vegas to the desert city of Victorville, about a 100-mile drive from Los Angeles.
Touted as being able to transport riders from Victorville to Vegas in about 80 minutes, the multi-billion project is expected to offer trains leaving every 20 minutes and tickets costing as little as $75, according to the Victorville Daily Press.
It still needs further government permission to connect with Southern California's population centers.
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