The 305km double-track electrified line would be a
fully grade-separated passenger-only railway, largely following the
route of the Interstate 15 highway. The Environmental Impact Statement
for the project was approved by the Federal Railroad Administration in
July. Construction could begin as soon as next year and will take
around four years to complete.
Trains will operate
at up to 240km/h, completing the journey in 1h 24min. Services will run
at 20-60 minute intervals and DesertXpress expects to carry around 5
million passengers in its first year of operation.
In
the longer-term, the line could be linked to the proposed California
high-speed network at Palmdale with an 80km extension from Victorville.
