X-Train: Las Vegas Railway Express / United Rail

[Mr.T]

I do understand the merits of reusing the old station, and I am also a big proponent of downtown stations. That said, I am a little confused about the Plaza Hotel terminal. Google maps does not suggest that any station infrastructure remains (I certainly may have missed it). If they are going to need to develop a greenfield site why not at Flamingo rd or Twain ave so pax get delivered to the center of the strip -- surely that will be destination for the majority of pax on this train.

Am I overlooking infrastructure or are the downtown hotels providing some incentives?

It's been claimed some hotel/casino companies are investing in the project, so perhaps it's the downtown ones(or maybe I'm confusing this with what I heard about XpressWest). I also know the city of Las Vegas wants to promote downtown redevelopment( the "Strip" is outside city limits).
As for infrastructure, here's some photos of what remains at the site.
http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/lasvegasnv.htm
It occurs to me that perhaps UP had some say in where they would allow the station, maybe the old station is in the site most convenient for UP.

[Chafford1]

There's certainly been plenty of publicity on this scheme in the media recently. The fact is though that the company hasn't even started refurbishing the 16 carriages needed and they haven't yet got a station in Las Vegas. Ready in a year's time? I doubt it.

[Jeff Smith]

I don't remember if we posted this here: http://www.vegasxtrain.com/

Disclosure: just bought some shares.

[Bethlehem Jct.]

I do understand the merits of reusing the old station, and I am also a big proponent of downtown stations. That said, I am a little confused about the Plaza Hotel terminal. Google maps does not suggest that any station infrastructure remains (I certainly may have missed it). If they are going to need to develop a greenfield site why not at Flamingo rd or Twain ave so pax get delivered to the center of the strip -- surely that will be destination for the majority of pax on this train.

Am I overlooking infrastructure or are the downtown hotels providing some incentives?

The platforms are still there, behind the Plaza Hotel. It wasn't a heavily built up facility to begin with. When it was built, Union Pacific was likely anticipating exiting the passenger business like most railroads at that time. Some recent photos of the outside can be found here: Amtrak - Las Vegas. The stuff sitting outside the station in the 2011 photos is likely related to the renovations that were happening at that time.
I don't know what physical changes have been made inside to the former station, but a cabbie in Las Vegas told me that the station facilities were being used as an employee break area prior to the massive hotel renovations that were begun in late 2010. He worked there up until then. I've no idea however, how altered the station was prior to or after the renovations.

[pebbleworm]

I hope this works out- I have no desire to gamble, but I would like to go to Las Vegas without flying. The renderings on the X-Train website look like they have hollowed out gallery cars for more headroom, with kind of a Viewliner diner effect. One looks a lot like a picture of the late Atlantic City Aces train- maybe those are some of the cars they bought? The Aces train had serious scheduling problems, since it ran on jam packed New Jersey Transit lines and hopefully (once again) the X-Train can have decent arrival and departure times. And keep a happy medium between un-necessarily expensive Concorde style luxury and Reno Fun Train excesses.

[Jeff Smith]

Whatever the merits, they're good at getting the word out: Forbes

I love the flexibility of the plan. (Disclaimer: I hold XTRN).

The $100 Million 'X Train' Will Be A Party From L.A. To Vegas

Getting there should be half the fun, but it usually isn’t. Nevada-based entrepreneur and CEO of the X Train, Michael Barron, is out to change that — hoping to make travel from Southern California to Las Vegas a joyride.

For decades, problems such as rising gasoline prices and traffic congestion on I-15 have aggravated Vegas-bound weekenders. Aware that one-third of Las Vegas’ tourists hail from the L.A. area, Barron saw an opportunity to address such issues. In 2009, he founded Las Vegas Railway Express and incorporated as Las Vegas Railway Express, Inc., a publicly traded Delaware Corporation. He has since acquired a staff of ten team members to help execute the vision from their Nevada-based office. The idea of running an express rail service from Southern California to Las Vegas is nothing new, but the “X Train” is far from anything that’s existed in the past.

The 21+ adult party train will depart from the Amtrak station in Fullerton, CA, just outside of L.A., and cruise into the heart of Las Vegas on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays — the heaviest travel days. Tickets for the five-hour ride will cost $99 each way, and include a meal and beverage. Barron hopes that the 600-passenger X Train will make its first trip by NYE 2013, but there are still logistical hurdles to overcome in the in the next year.

...

The X Train team envisions a first-class experience for its passengers, complete with cocktail service, flat screen TVs, Internet and smoke-friendly areas for the “under-appreciated market of those who choose to smoke.” There will also be two Ultra Lounge bars for socializing on board and optional private party cars for booking.

[Jeff Smith]

Latest news: Railway Gazette

Disclaimer: I hold a position in XTRN

X-Train to revive Los Angeles – Las Vegas service

USA: Inter-city passenger trains between Southern California and Las Vegas are set to resume in January 2014, following an inaugural run planned for December 31 2013. Trial running is expected to begin in October, 16 years after Amtrak’s Los Angeles – Salt Lake City – Chicago Desert Wind was withdrawn in 1997.

The privately-operated X-Train is being promoted by Las Vegas Railway Express Inc, which envisages a 5 h journey time between Las Vegas and Fullerton, southeast of Los Angeles, where the inter-city trains would connect with Metrolink commuter rail services. X-Train plans to begin with two trips each way per week, leaving Fullerton on Thursdays and Fridays and returning from the Nevada gambling resort on Sunday and Monday afternoons.

Key to the project is a trackage rights agreement with Union Pacific allowing X-Train to operate over UP tracks between Las Vegas and Daggett, California, which was signed on November 16. The company is currently negotiating for Amtrak to provide operating crews and for the use of Amtrak’s existing rights to run over BNSF tracks between Fullerton and Daggett.

...According to X-Train President & CEO Michael Barron, work is to start in early 2013 on refurbishing 16 gallery cars, which have already been acquired. These are to be fitted with reclining seats and large-screen televisions, as well as bar facilities. Various sites are being investigated for the construction of a new passenger station in Las Vegas at a cost of $6·5m. Each train is expected to carry 576 passengers, with introductory fares starting at $99 each way, but will be limited to adults only.

[Jeff Smith]

Company Blog of Route: Jim Wilson - Chief Operations Officer - Rail Operations

Disclaimer: I hold shares of XTRN

Historic Vegas X Train Route (Part 1)

The Vegas X Train route from Fullerton to Las Vegas covers the highest population area in Southern California to the lowest population of the high desert and arriving in the Entertainment Capital of the World, Las Vegas. As the railroads moved into Las Vegas and California in 1887 in Fullerton and 1905 in Las Vegas they made a huge contribution to moving immigrants into the area and moving commerce in to support the growth of the population. While moving people and goods was the purpose of the railroad, getting from Las Vegas to Fullerton was highly influenced by the geography and availability of water for the grades and support for steam engine operations. Image yourself as a railroad civil engineer peering over the summit at Cajon or Cima Hill and trying to figure out where the railroad is going to go. The movement of water points most of the route as over the years water shaped the course of the routes for the railroads to follow.

Fast forward to the 21st century on the Vegas X Train riding in luxury and cool comfort on one of the most highly developed, highest capacity, and technological state of the art rail corridors in the United States. Originating in Fullerton, California you move east through Corona, Riverside, and San Bernardino to the foot of Cajon Pass. All of this area was inhabited by Native American’s from several tribes and then came the Spaniards and Anglo’s into the area trading with the population, starting settlements, and towns. In 1851 a group of Mormon settlers from Salt Lake City led by Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich traveled through Cajon Pass and the area where the Mormon Trail and Santa Fe Railway merged was a rock grouping that became known as Mormon Rocks. This area became a much photographed venue with the famous photographer Herb Sullivan taking many train pictures there and became known as Sullivan’s Curve.

[kaitoku]

The party has ended before it began on train travel between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

For four years, penny stock company Las Vegas Railway Express has promoted its idea to restart rail service between the two areas using conventional equipment outfitted for a good-time ride, what it calls the X Train.

But in its second-quarter report filed Tuesday, the company disclosed that it had scrapped its previously announced strategy of raising $100 million to launch the service, including paying the Union Pacific Railroad $67 million to improve and expand its tracks between Las Vegas and Daggett, Calif.

As a result, the company forfeited a $600,000 deposit paid to Union Pacific last year.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/p ... a-derailed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mtuandrew]

The party has ended before it began on train travel between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

For four years, penny stock company Las Vegas Railway Express has promoted its idea to restart rail service between the two areas using conventional equipment outfitted for a good-time ride, what it calls the X Train.

But in its second-quarter report filed Tuesday, the company disclosed that it had scrapped its previously announced strategy of raising $100 million to launch the service, including paying the Union Pacific Railroad $67 million to improve and expand its tracks between Las Vegas and Daggett, Calif.

As a result, the company forfeited a $600,000 deposit paid to Union Pacific last year.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/p ... a-derailed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Moderator's Note: merged into existing X-Train topic.

And to be honest, this outcome doesn't surprise me, just disappoints me. I do hope Amtrak can start service, probably with financial support from California and Nevada. That said, would Amtrak want a party train as part of its consist? How much would UP and BNSF stab this train in terms of time if Amtrak forced it onto this line (and would they even have the authority to do so?)

[electricron]

Amtrak would want the States to subsidize it since the corridor wouldn't be long enough to qualify as a LD train. I don't think Amtrak will care how the States raise that money. There will also be significant startup costs for the States to fund. And there is still the problem of finding a station to use in Vegas. Amtrak could use its existing shops in lA to maintain the trains, therefore the new facilities in Vegas wouldn't have to be as large as the X-train was planning.

[NH2060]

Everybody has been saying that the project is dead or in limbo, but that is NOT the case:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-releas ... 851351.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In other news the company announced via Facebook that they will be taking delivery of the first refurbished rail cars in about 2 weeks time. Some photographs have been posted on their page of the interior work being done.

[SouthernRailway]

Railway Track and Structures magazine reports that X-Train terminated the Union Pacific contract. The reason given is that the company now has an "off-balance sheet" was to finance itself rather than diluting its shareholders by $100 million and that a payment to UP thus didn't need to be made.

Given that reason, which is odd, and the management team's weak background in railroading (the CEO seems to have been very successful in various businesses, none of which were railroads, and other key people all have the same last name as the CEO, curiously), I think that this is fishy.

If a railroad needed trackage rights over UP track, I don't see why it would terminate the agreement with UP. It should just amend the UP agreement and keep it and the business relationship in place. I also don't see what the off balance sheet financing would be. A young company can raise funds by stock sales or debt, such as bank loans or promissory notes; it isn't a huge enterprise that has the resources to do something off-balance sheet. So I don't see this happening.

[Zanperk]

Well.... Please check back for our upcoming 2017 schedule

[Backshophoss]

This is very unusual,when did they crawl back from the dead?
They are leasing private cars,should have created some ripples in the news,and is Amtrak providing the Locos needed or is IP ?
They left a mess behind in Santa Fe NM with unpaid bills to local vendors including the Santa Fe Southern.
I can understand the super low profile,but doesn't pass the "smell" test for now.