Would You Take a Bullet Train from Anaheim to Las Vegas?... Brightline West

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Its a 45-minute trip from Ontario International Airport to Vegas. Add in taxi-ing and TSA and I'm looking at 90-120 minutes each way vs 4-8 hours each way. You save a minimum of 2 hours with the flight.

I don’t think that’s most people’s flight experience though.

It takes us 30 minutes just to drive to the airport and park, then another 30 minutes to check our bags and get through TSA Precheck (worth every penny), then another 30 minutes for boarding and pushback, that’s 90 minutes before the plane even gets off the ground… that’s not even counting the extra half hour we use as a buffer so we don’t get stuck in traffic and miss our flight… I can’t imagine leaving our house less than 2 hours before our flight is scheduled to depart.

Then the 45 minute flight, then 15 minutes collecting luggage, then 15 minutes getting an Uber, then a 15-30 minute ride in the Uber… best case flying scenario from our house to DL is 3.5 hours, best case scenario for driving is about 3:45.

I agree the worst case scenario is potentially worse with driving but as long as you are smart about when you leave it should never get over 5 hours. I’ve had 2 hour flight delays due to weather before that made it so driving would have been faster. Risks with both.

 

[Professortango1]

I don’t think that’s most people’s flight experience though.

It takes us 30 minutes just to drive to the airport and park, then another 30 minutes to check our bags and get through TSA Precheck (worth every penny), then another 30 minutes for boarding and pushback, that’s 90 minutes before the plane even gets off the ground… that’s not even counting the extra half hour we use as a buffer so we don’t get stuck in traffic and miss our flight… I can’t imagine leaving our house less than 2 hours before our flight is scheduled to depart.

Then the 45 minute flight, then 15 minutes collecting luggage, then 15 minutes getting an Uber, then a 15-30 minute ride in the Uber… best case flying scenario from our house to DL is 3.5 hours, best case scenario for driving is about 3:45.

I agree the worst case scenario is potentially worse with driving but as long as you are smart about when you leave it should never get over 5 hours. I’ve had 2 hour flight delays due to weather before that made it so driving would have been faster. Risks with both.

I wouldn't expect any sane person to be checking bags for a a few days in Vegas. I get dropped off an hour-hour 15 before my flight, I'm through security in 15 minutes tops, walk to my gate and into the plane.

My Uber from the Vegas Airport to the MGM was 10 minutes. Or you can take one of the shuttles.

It's so easy to fly from Ontario to Vegas. The only thing easier would be no TSA and the ability to walk around. That's the HSR baby!

 

[Misted Compass]

https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/...outhern-california-to-vegas-rail/86812607007/
Heavy construction on the CA side is delayed to 2026.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Goods are produced

If you look at the finances of China's HSR it's all paid for by the central government and is all debt. . 850 billion and climbing.

Yep. Straight forward truth.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Within high population areas i.e. cities (L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, New York, Atlanta etc.) there exist mass transport systems, soooo to connect these high population areas there is an argument to be made for HSR. That said, the vast majority of the country will get no benefit from HSR, aside from cost to build it will not be readily accessible to the majority of the country. People must travel to the major population hubs to access the HSR and if the major population hub is not the final destination, then more transportation arrangements. Europe, due to not being the same size in distances, have greater proximity to high population areas with HSR access, then China's central government does not care about the details. As for freight, wellll what I read, see and hear is "we are working on it".

As for a ride on HSR from Anaheim to Vegas and back, yeah, I would do it. If anything Vegas wants the potential business.

 

[Disney Irish]

Within high population areas i.e. cities (L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, New York, Atlanta etc.) there exist mass transport systems, soooo to connect these high population areas there is an argument to be made for HSR. That said, the vast majority of the country will get no benefit from HSR, aside from cost to build it will not be readily accessible to the majority of the country. People must travel to the major population hubs to access the HSR and if the major population hub is not the final destination, then more transportation arrangements. Europe, due to not being the same size in distances, have greater proximity to high population areas with HSR access, then China's central government does not care about the details. As for freight, wellll what I read, see and hear is "we are working on it".

There is an argument to be made that since something like ~86% of the US population lives within the high population metro areas as of 2024 that it would be of benefit for the entire country to have HSR that connects them all.

Just because there is a minority of the population (~14%) that that may not benefit from it doesn't mean the majority should suffer and stop progress into alternative forms of transportation.

 

[GimpYancIent]

There is an argument to be made that since something like ~86% of the US population lives within the high population metro areas as of 2024 that it would be of benefit for the entire country to have HSR that connects them all.

Just because there is a minority of the population (~14%) that that may not benefit from it doesn't mean the majority should suffer and stop progress into alternative forms of transportation.

Yes, there is an argument to be made. There is an old quote "the devil is in the details" and when the details are studied, reviewed and weighed for benefit to the majority of the population (even high population density areas) your argument dies.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes, there is an argument to be made. There is an old quote "the devil is in the details" and when the details are studied, reviewed and weighed for benefit to the majority of the population (even high population density areas) your argument dies.

Would you care to share those studies so everyone can review them and make their own opinions? Because everything I've read indicates it actually way more beneficial than continuing to try to add more lanes to roads and highways.

The Economic Impact of High-Speed Rail on Rural and Inner Urban Areas Economy: The Case Study of HSR Naples-Bari in South of Italy

High-speed rail (HSR) has revolutionized global transportation by providing fast, reliable, and efficient city-to-city travel. While its urban benefits are well-documented, the potential advantages for rural development are often overlooked. The high-speed rail project on the Naples-Bari route...

www.sciepublish.com

The Future of High-Speed Rail in America—and How Freight Can Benefit - RSI

By RSI Staff As demand for high-speed rail (HSR) continues to grow, the U.S. rail industry stands at the precipice of a transformative era. While many are familiar with HSR’s potential to revolutionize travel, fewer may appreciate the far-reaching benefits it can bring to the freight rail...

www.rsiweb.org

Benefits of High-Speed Rail for the United States - American Public Transportation Association

Implementing high-speed rail (HSR) will provide Americans with more transportation choices. It will also make sure that America remains an economic engine, and meets the environmental and energy challenges of this century. Investing in high-speed rail: Creates Jobs: Building high-speed rail...

www.apta.com

Why America Needs High Speed Rail

Transportation is the backbone of America. In 1862, Congress passed The Pacific Railway Act to promote the construction of transcontinental railroads, cementing the US as the industrial powerhouse we know today. Later during the Cold War, Eisenhower enacted the Interstate Highway Act to...

www.thectee.org

And a whole host of others.

Also if we make no progress into alternative forms of transportation we'll all just be living in gridlock forever. Its unsustainable to continue down the path that we're on. So something has to give, we can no longer just stick our heads in the ground and say "we can't do anything". Now maybe it doesn't matter to you being in your 70s and assume don't live in the metro areas this would service, but to others much younger who do live in the metro areas it does matter.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Plenty of reference material, but the lead off to this report will suffice. "

California leaders announce changes to state's high-speed rail project​

By Tori Apodaca
August 25, 2025 / 6:22 PM PDT / CBS Sacramento
State leaders are speaking out on California's High-Speed Rail system.

Taxpayer dollars have been going into this high-speed rail train project for over a decade, but now the project is estimated to cost over $120 billion.

California voters approved the high-speed rail project to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco in 2008, proposed then to cost $33 billion and be completed by 2020, but that never happened."

Can't get this thing off the ground in California yet there are impractical projections for a national network? Just waiting to see the completion of Anaheim to Vegas. That may have value as a tourist attraction at least.

 

[Parteecia]

I wouldn’t say fun

Good friends + good music

 

[Parteecia]

Its a 45-minute trip from Ontario International Airport to Vegas. Add in taxi-ing and TSA and I'm looking at 90-120 minutes each way vs 4-8 hours each way. You save a minimum of 2 hours with the flight.

You drive slower than I do. I'm usually there in less than 3.

Plus, I get to the airport a minimum of 2 hours before flights because I have issues. More convenient when I get to town. And I can take anything I want that fits in my car. No liquid limits!

 

[Disney Irish]

Plenty of reference material, but the lead off to this report will suffice. "

California leaders announce changes to state's high-speed rail project​

By Tori Apodaca
August 25, 2025 / 6:22 PM PDT / CBS Sacramento
State leaders are speaking out on California's High-Speed Rail system.

Taxpayer dollars have been going into this high-speed rail train project for over a decade, but now the project is estimated to cost over $120 billion.

California voters approved the high-speed rail project to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco in 2008, proposed then to cost $33 billion and be completed by 2020, but that never happened."

Can't get this thing off the ground in California yet there are impractical projections for a national network? Just waiting to see the completion of Anaheim to Vegas. That may have value as a tourist attraction at least.

That is not a study, that's an excuse....

Also why is it that CA HSR project can't get off the ground? Because instead of moving forward with the plan as outlined back in 2008 it was adjusted many many times for NIMBY and political purposes causing costs to skyrocket. Had it moved forward as planned it 1. would have cost way less than currently projected, and 2. could have been mostly if not entirely finished by now. That isn't proof that it's not viable or impractical, just that when the US political system gets in the way nothing gets done, story of this nation's gridlocked political system for that last 50+ years.

So just because one project has had pitfalls doesn't mean you dump the whole idea of HSR in the US. That would be like sticking to horse and buggy and dumping cars just because of gas pump issues in the early days that caused fires. They introduced vapor locks and other safety features that made pumping safe, but they didn't scrap cars completely. And you don't scrap HSR in the US just because one project has had issues.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Also why is it that CA HSR project can't get off the ground? Because instead of moving forward with the plan as outlined back in 2008 it was adjusted many many times for NIMBY and political purposes causing costs to skyrocket. Had it moved forward as planned it 1. would have cost way less than currently projected, and 2. could have been mostly if not entirely finished by now. That isn't proof that it's not viable or impractical, just that when the US political system gets in the way nothing gets done, story of this nation's gridlocked political system for that last 50+ years.

As much as people love complaining about CA bureaucracy I don’t think a project this size would run much smoother anywhere else, NIMBYism is a nationwide trait, as is trading political favors to get the votes needed for approval on massive projects… I can’t think of any states where they wouldn’t have most of the same delays and issues.

Mass transit is needed, it’s just a nightmare to get done, that’s true whether it’s interstates, rail, subways, etc. Everyone wants the congestion problems fixed but no one wants the noise, costs, and turmoil to affect their daily life or neighborhoods.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

There is an argument to be made that since something like ~86% of the US population lives within the high population metro areas as of 2024 that it would be of benefit for the entire country to have HSR that connects them all.

Just because there is a minority of the population (~14%) that that may not benefit from it doesn't mean the majority should suffer and stop progress into alternative forms of transportation.

I think it makes sense in a ton of cases but not nationwide, once you get much over 350 miles between metro areas the cost to benefit ratio gets off pretty quick.

Connecting most of the east coast makes sense, as does connecting close metros like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio… SD, LA, and SF, with connections to LV and Phoenix…Portland and Seattle, areas like Phoenix to San Antonio or SF to Portland start to make less sense though, its such a long distance it becomes hard to justify HSR over a plane.

Most of middle America would be hard to justify, maybe LV to SLC and SLC to Denver, even that would be hard to justify with all the mountains between them, I don’t think the benefits would justify the costs.

I still think metro systems are currently a better use of money than a HSR, spending $30B on a better mass transit system in LA and another $30B on a better mass transit system in SF would probably reduce miles driven and pollution 100 times more than connecting LA to SF by HSR, and at a fraction of the cost.

 

[Disney Irish]

As much as people love complaining about CA bureaucracy I don’t think a project this size would run much smoother anywhere else, NIMBYism is a nationwide trait, as is trading political favors to get the votes needed for approval on massive projects… I can’t think of any states where they wouldn’t have most of the same delays and issues.

Mass transit is needed, it’s just a nightmare to get done, that’s true whether it’s interstates, rail, subways, etc. Everyone wants the congestion problems fixed but no one wants the noise, costs, and turmoil to affect their daily life or neighborhoods.

No doubt its hard, but if we had the same sentiment that is being seen with HSR and other mass transit projects today back in 1950s we'd never had gotten the interstate highway system.

Again at a certain point we have a country have to stop putting our heads in the sand and saying "not possible".

I think it makes sense in a ton of cases but not nationwide, once you get much over 350 miles between metro areas the cost to benefit ratio gets off pretty quick.

Connecting most of the east coast makes sense, as does connecting close metros like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio… SD, LA, and SF, with connections to LV and Phoenix…Portland and Seattle, areas like Phoenix to San Antonio or SF to Portland start to make less sense though, its such a long distance it becomes hard to justify HSR over a plane.

Most of middle America would be hard to justify, maybe LV to SLC and SLC to Denver, even that would be hard to justify with all the mountains between them, I don’t think the benefits would justify the costs.

I still think metro systems are currently a better use of money than a HSR, spending $30B on a better mass transit system in LA and another $30B on a better mass transit system in SF would probably reduce miles driven and pollution 100 times more than connecting LA to SF by HSR, and at a fraction of the cost.

As mentioned before since upwards of 86% of the nation lives within the metro areas all you need to do is interlink the metro areas and you cover the majority of the population. Yes that means most of the middle of America gets left out because they don't live in a metro area, but that doesn't mean they won't benefit directly or even indirectly. The cascading improvements to not only local traffic but also downstream improvements to fuel costs and even ticket costs for other transportation like plane travel due to competition would be beneficial to all, even if they don't directly use the system.

We need to stop thinking about the "can't" and start thinking about the "can" in this country. My hope is that in my lifetime we see a push toward major infrastructure initiatives like this that would benefit future generations.

 

[Disney Irish]

As much as people love complaining about CA bureaucracy I don’t think a project this size would run much smoother anywhere else, NIMBYism is a nationwide trait, as is trading political favors to get the votes needed for approval on massive projects… I can’t think of any states where they wouldn’t have most of the same delays and issues.

Mass transit is needed, it’s just a nightmare to get done, that’s true whether it’s interstates, rail, subways, etc. Everyone wants the congestion problems fixed but no one wants the noise, costs, and turmoil to affect their daily life or neighborhoods.

I will add here that once the Brightline LA/LV line is up and running I think many will start to change their tune on rejecting such projects.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I will add here that once the Brightline LA/LV line is up and running I think many will start to change their tune on rejecting such projects.

I think the same, prior to going to Europe we had no interest in ever taking a train, after a few train trips we were hooked.

I’d guess most Americans who are anti-HSR have either never experienced it, or associate it with the American Amtrak experience, once more try a more authentic HSR experience I think most will become fans, or at the very least understand the benefits, I think the Vegas side will be a very positive experience since getting to the nearby Strip will be a very easy Uber/shuttle, I’m a little worried the RC location may sour some people since getting to it, or to the end destination may be a bit of a pain. At the very least they’ll get to experience the comfort of train travel vs the packed like sardines experience of plane travel.

 

[truecoat]

I think the same, prior to going to Europe we had no interest in ever taking a train, after a few train trips we were hooked.

I’d guess most Americans who are anti-HSR have either never experienced it, or associate it with the American Amtrak experience, once more try a more authentic HSR experience I think most will become fans, or at the very least understand the benefits, I think the Vegas side will be a very positive experience since getting to the nearby Strip will be a very easy Uber/shuttle, I’m a little worried the RC location may sour some people since getting to it, or to the end destination may be a bit of a pain. At the very least they’ll get to experience the comfort of train travel vs the packed like sardines experience of plane travel.

I traveled to England and France 3 years ago. Took a train to an NFL game, took a train to Windsor Castle, took a train from London to Paris. I walked 42 miles over those 8 days, and rode a lot of trains. It was pretty awesome.

 

[Professortango1]

You drive slower than I do. I'm usually there in less than 3.

Plus, I get to the airport a minimum of 2 hours before flights because I have issues. More convenient when I get to town. And I can take anything I want that fits in my car. No liquid limits!

Drive time is 3 hours and 20 minutes from the furthest point of Riverside County to the MGM Grand, where the Strip essentially begins. Without traffic.

How much liquid are you wanting to take to a weekend in Vegas?