Plans for MagLev train from L.A. to Las Vegas advance thanks to new bill.

Plans for a magnetic levitating (MagLev) train that will transport passengers from Las Vegas to Disneyland could become true thanks to a transportation bill signed by President Bush last Friday. According to the bill, a total of $45 million will be initially invested in the revolutionary project.

MagLev trains use magnetic levitation technology to carry passengers, the MagLev system was created in the late 70’s in Germany and they have been already implemented in several countries in Europe and in Japan. The MagLev trains can reach up to 600 mph, however, the speed record in a functional train is 306 mph. If the MagLev train is developed, passengers could travel  from Disneyland to Las Vegas in under two hours with an approximate cost of 1/3 of an airplane ticket. The MagLev system will be the first in its class in the U.S.

The bill pretends to invest the largest cash infusion in the project since it was initiated almost 20 years ago and the initial $45 million will cover the environmental studies for the first stage of the project. The train pretends to become the first eco friendly massive transportation alternative in the country, other cities may start developing their own plans to implement a MagLev depending on the cost and performance of the Disneyland -Las Vegas train. The plan to put in operation a high speed train could help to reduce the traffic on the more and more congested Interstate 15, the main route for the millions of Californians who drive the 250-plus-miles between Southern California and Sin City. Las Vegas is suffering from a progressive downsize in its economy, and since the plans to build a new airport have been delayed to 2019, the MagLev trains could be the solution the city needs to bring more customers to the spectacular Las Vegas hotels.