With Las Vegas tourism numbers at their lowest they have been in a long time, Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada would like to get California visitors here quicker and easier with a high speed train. For many years this idea has been nothing more than that, an idea. But Gibbons has recently met with Barrack Obama about applying the stimulus package to this idea.

If constructed this new high speed train would take southern California residents to Las Vegas in about 86 minutes and would avoid drivers to have to use interstate 15 to make the trek across the desert. The train travels at around 300 mph and sits on magnetic levitation technology. Currently this type of train has been used in Japan since 2003 and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gibbons have agreed to the project. This would stimulate local tourism for people not really willing to make the car ride but would enjoy taking a train ride to Las Vegas. Since more and more people are trying to stay closer to home for vacations this would be a great way to put some pep back into the Las Vegas economy as well as California’s. Certain steps have already been made to free up room for the project like a $45 million dollar study on the environmental impact for this project. Totals numbers to build the train would be in the ballpark of $12-$13 billion and would create many new jobs along with it. Nothing has been approved but officials are getting together to discuss options on how to allow this dream to come true.