Another One: the Western High-Speed Rail Alliance

Articles:

• Alliance’s goal: Western rail system in the Las Vegas Sun
• Rail alliance names first routes, and LV-Reno ignored in the Las Vegas Sun
• Western Rail Alliance Proposes HSR Routes, Including LA-Phoenix in the California High Speed Rail Blog

Some western states have gotten together to form the Western High-Speed Rail Alliance: Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, with New Mexico and Idaho as possible additional members. This organization proposes these routes:

• Los Angeles - Phoenix -- 374 mi (San Bernardino - Phoenix -- 321 mi)
• Las Vegas - Phoenix -- 286 mi
• Las Vegas - Salt Lake City -- 424 mi
• Las Vegas - Reno -- 441 mi
• Salt Lake City - Reno -- 518 mi
• Salt Lake City - Denver -- 536 mi

Los Angeles - Las Vegas is already covered by some other proposals. Here are some possible additional ones:

• Phoenix - Tucson - Albuquerque -- 116 mi - 448 mi
• Salt Lake City - Boise -- 339 mi
• Denver - Albuquerque -- 449 mi

Populations: Las Vegas: 1.9m, Phoenix: 4.3m, Tucson: 1.0m, Albuquerque: 0.85m, Reno: 0.67m, Salt Lake City: 1.1m, Boise: 0.58m

Between these cities' low populations, the routes' great distances in thinly-populated areas, and the mountainous terrain, it looks like a rather unlikely possibility. Dedicated high-speed lines would be difficult to justify, and moderate-speed lines and upgrades (110-mph and thereabouts) would likely be too slow for the distances that the trains must cover.

The most likely routes I think are LA/SB - Phoenix and LV - Phoenix, perhaps with a connection to Tucson.

However, those states' senators could help bring home the bacon, er. pork. :D