October 26, 2010

 Las Vegas, NV- Nevada Senator Harry Reid today announced The Western High Speed Rail Alliance will receive more than $1 million to study the high speed rail linkage between Victorville and Palmdale, California. The Western High Speed Rail Alliance will use this funding to study the feasibility of the high speed rail connection between the two states. This will be the first time that the Victorville-Palmdale corridor has been studied.

The Nevada State Rail Plan will receive $640,000 in a High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Planning Grant from the Department of Transportation. Nevada will receive $500,000 to study the connection between Las Vegas and Victorville. California will receive the same amount to examine the end destination in Palmdale.

“This study will lay the foundation for high speed rail in the West and when completed the Desert Express will create thousands of jobs across Nevada and California,” said Reid. “I thank the Department of Transportation for recognizing the powerful potential of this high speed rail corridor and the impact that this study and the construction of this rail line will have on Nevada’s economy.”

“The Western High Speed Rail Alliance is very pleased to be working with California on a western connection for high speed rail,” said Jacob Snow, Chairman of the Western High Speed Rail Alliance.  “The intermountain west is a critical link to building a national high speed rail system.  Our Alliance members are ready to get started studying this region for multi modal connectivity.”