Superfast levitating train could connect Disneyland, Las Vegas: Once we find $12 billion

No, it does NOT make sense to delay building these trains, but it defies logic to spend this money on enhancing the giant gambling and Disney industries at the expense of California's population. We need a train from SF to LA, not another Disneyland ride.

The techniology is proven to exist, and these systems work beautifully in Europe and Japan. Again, America is going to fall far behind the rest of the world. And all for foriegn tourist dollars at that, Thanks to Cheney/Bush, for encouraging the seeds of greed that result in this kind of project.

Nauseating.

you have a great wait and see attitude- do you work for GM?

I wish Tom Barlow would get his facts right on Maglev! He can't even get the picture right!

If anyone is interested in the facts about Maglev, check out www. magnetbahnforum.com I think you will find much more truth there than in the local media! Plus you can find out what is happening in the rest of the world, 'transport wise'! Come on America, your being overtaken by China! But then aint we all?

This is not an early adopter type system. The technology is proven and delaying this project only further burdens the financial structure. As land becomes more dense, it becomes much more expensive to purchase and that cost translates into a more expensive train. The technology does not cost nearly as much as the land and waiting does not make any fiscal sense whatsoever.

I will say people are now better to start building a MAGLEV or any other high speed trains linking all US big cities together! As I think airport security checks are very time consuming... in the same time, people can save lots of $$$ on fuel, oil thus better for the environment in the long run...

let's say 100 years later from today, all oil are used up or oil prices will hit 1000$ per barrell, then who can afford to travel by plane? or driving?

Remember, MAGLEV is only a

Dear Mr. Barlow,

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your blog.

I was attracted to your blog by the photograph of the Japanese Superconducting Maglev Transport, which holds the ground speed record at 361 mph. This original superconducting Maglev system was invented by my colleagues Drs. James Powell and Gordon Danby. The first generation Japanese system and the German Transrapid system, which has been the basis of the Anaheim to Las Vegas route, are too expensive and too cumbersome for the market as your analysis shows. I am please to report that Powell and Danby have continued to innovate their 2nd generation superconducting Maglev-2000 system is far superior to first generation Maglev systems. Its new guideway design can be built at much lower cost than the foreign 1st generation Maglev systems, and their new 4-pole magnet has the unique ability to carry loaded highway tractor-trailer trucks in Maglev freight vehicles that share the same guideway with passenger Maglev vehicles. Moreover, it can operate in both a monorail and planar mode. Operating in a planar mode permits the Maglev-2000 vehicles to electronically switch at high speeds and travel in a levitated state at high speed along existing conventional railroad tracks that have been fitted with thin, low cost Maglev-2000 panels containing aluminum wire loops. The conventional railroad trackage can still be used by existing steel-wheel-on-rail trains, with appropriate scheduling. First generation German, Japanese and other American Maglev systems that are based on the German Transrapid design cannot perform these innovative and very important operations.

If one sees the Anaheim to Las Vegas route as the first link of a 25,000 mile National Maglev Network for passengers and highway freight trucks, as we do, the full energy and environmental benefits of Maglev are achieved. Short routes to airports or between 2 cities are much less useful. The vision of the late Senator Moynihan that Maglev would be deployed along the rights-of-way of our Interstate Highways and existing railways for entry into cities has many significant public benefits including oil reduction, air quality improvement, and far less fatalities and injuries on our crowded highways. Carrying long distance intercity trucks on the National Maglev Network will allow it to be built with private investment funds and will not need government funding.

The United States must reduce its consumption of oil for transport. Today’s 700 Billion dollar trade deficit for oil imports is driving America into bankruptcy.

It is clear that the most practical, lowest cost and environmentally sustainable way to reduce oil imports is to electrify transportation. Electrifying transport will not interfere with the food supply, create toxic health hazards or increase global warming gas emissions. Maglev will contribute immensely to solving the energy, environment and economic problems that threaten our standard of living. With oil at nearly $140 a barrel, today, soon to reach $200, nearly $1000 billion will be flowing out of our economy a year. This is simply not sustainable and the American people seem to know it, judging from the lowest consumer confidence index on record.

We project that electrifying ground transport (Maglev for long trips and rechargeable hybrids and all electrics for shorter trips) will reduce U.S. transport oil consumption to only 4.5 million barrels per day by 2025, compared to the present 13 million barrels per day, with a corresponding reduction of annual carbon dioxide emissions to 1400 million metric tons per year. This reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by transport alone is 30% less than our current emissions. Bottom Line: electrifying ground transport would eliminate the need for imported oil. So I hope your readers can see that this project is more than just a Disneyland to Las Vegas connection. It is the beginning of an electric century with substantial exports of high value added American exports and thousands of new jobs to provide for a high standard of living when oil becomes very scarce and much less affordable.

It is our plan at Maglev 2000 to build a route from San Diego to Seattle, a transcontinental route from San Diego via Las Vegas cross country via Denver and Chicago around the Great Lakes cities to Boston and from Boston to Miami by 2019 the 150th Anniversary of the Golden Spike at Promotory, Utah. This will complete 6,150 miles of the Nation Maglev Network.

The Maglev 2000 system can be built for our internal costs for about half of the amount which you quoted. We will of course provide an attractive return on investment. But the 270 mile trip to Vegas will take slightly less than 1 hour in all kinds of weather. We plan to carry truckloads of California food to the hungry American’s vacationing in Las Vegas. The truckers using our roll-on-roll-off freight truck ferrying service can save the cost of fuel and tires and the cost of our ferry service will be much less than their driving.

The quiet, smooth and leg stretching luxury of Maglev will return no hassle travel between these two great metropolitan areas. Maglev-2000 passenger travel per passenger mile will be 1/2 that of air travel and 1/4 th that of High Speed Steel Wheel Rail Maglev travel times will be slightly longer than for Air travel.

If your are interested in knowing more about the Maglev 2000 send me an email and I would be pleased to give you more information about our work.

Doesn anyone *really* need to go between Las Vegas and Anaheim at three hundred and ten miles per hour? I mean, C'mon...

I think its long past time for a new improved train system and this is it!! I would much rather travel by a maglev train than fly. I hate flying, hate the airports, hate the security crap which is laugable anyway and give the public a false sense of security.
Maglevs are it!! Get 'her done already!!

This technology was originally developed in the United States, but when the government cut funding the Japemese and Europeans ran with it.

We need a train from San Francisco to Los Angeles, not another Disney ride. Get real.

I FIND MAGLEV TO BE THE FUTURE OF AMERICA PLEASE KEEP ME IN INFORMED ON NEW TECHNOLOGY

This is ridiculous. America is a third world country. Mag Lev is used in Asia and in EUROPE.....and ultra high speed trains of a more conventional type have been used in France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and OTHER Asian countries for years and years. They travel at 250 mph. We are still using lines and speeds we used in 1900 shortly before I was born. Our idiot president spends BILLIONS a week on Iraq, a war for which he should be hauled up on War Crimes charges and tried in the Hague...since HE attacked a sovereign country, paving the moral way for other countries to attack US whenever THEY feel like it. After all....WE were the inventors of WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION and we USED THEM and killed hundreds of thousands.

That we do not have AT LEAST as good a rail system as other countries do....is due to the payoffs to presidents and our criminally operative congress by the oil companies, stretching back to the end of World War II. NOW.....when we will shortly be paying $7 a gallon by Christmas or early next year....we have an antiquated rail system that cannot service us.

Mag Lev trains were built in the 70s.....and a line from Albany to New York was even proposed THEN....almost FORTY years ago. We do NOT need ANY more STUDIES. We need to catch up with the rest of the world and BUILD them. Beijing is building all new lines leading to it in Mag Lev format.

We are a dying empire....killed....murdered.....by corrupt politicians.

If you are under 30....MOVE TO ASIA.....THAT is the future.

Well I think it's a great idea.Takes alot of people to build a futuristic railway line. I need a job haha

THANK YOU JAMES JORDAN! It's a real treat to hear from someone who knows what he's talking about. A new third air port for Chicago is estimated to be about $20 bil. ... and that's just the beginning as these things tend to turn into the "big dig" scenario.

Maglev could make the runs to Milwaukee, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Springfield and could depart from downtown Chicago. With jet fuel becoming so expensive it would be Tom Foolery not to adopt a massive program of maglev.

Thank you again for all your efforts.

Why don't we spend the 12 billion on upgrading the national rail system, and let the gamblers hitchike to Vegas to lose their money...it will give them practice so they can hitch a ride home!

If it's public money being used to do this then the public should have a say. If it's private funding then it's no one's business but the people spending their
money.

One of the first things Obama should do is rebuild our infrastructure. It is definitely needed and would markedly reduce the unemployment problem. Roads, bridges, rail and Maglev will take many years of work projects and investmwnt. Do ir without "wall Streer" and the PEOPLE will be happy to invest for sensable, retirement and safe income corrected for inflation. Forget Iraqu and all the Middle East for awhile; just get out and let them stew.