A note from Supervisor Lovingood: Las Vegas
train project passes major milestone
Late last year, I met with Virgin Trains USA officials and
received an in-depth briefing on their plan to build a high-speed train between
Victorville and Las Vegas. This week, Virgin Trains USA won
an important approval as the state’s Debt Limit Allocation Committee staff
recommended that the company be allowed to sell tax-exempt debt to private
investors to fund the project.
The
beauty of this plan is that it is financed by the private sector. Investors,
not taxpayers, will take on the financial risk. The public will get the benefit
of having an alternative route to Las Vegas that will remove an estimated 4.5
million cars from the road each year. Virgin Trains plans to lay tracks in the
center median along Interstate 15 between Victorville and Las Vegas.
Construction is expected to begin in 2020, with train operations beginning in
2023.
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