NewsSiemens clinches deal for ultrafast trains on new Las Vegas-LA route

Siemens clinches deal for ultrafast trains on new Las Vegas-LA route

In the picture, an express intercity train on the Brightline railway route.

Images source: © via Getty Images | Bloomberg, David Paul Morris

4 May 2024 11:48

Siemens will supply the United States with ultrafast train sets that travel at an average speed of 322 km/h on the Las Vegas—Los Angeles route. The German conglomerate won the contract competition over French TGV train manufacturer Alstom.

The distance from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Rancho Cucamonga, a suburb of Los Angeles, is about 349 kilometres. Americans can cover this route using the American Pioneer 220 trains, designed by German Siemens. For now, there are talks of 10 trains. The exact value of the transaction has not yet been determined.

The average speed is expected to be 322 km/h, and the travel time will not exceed two hours - half the time it takes to travel by car. Siemens estimates that 11 million people will use the transport annually.

"These seven-car trains will accommodate from 434 to 450 passengers, and the travel time on some routes will not exceed two hours. Accessibility is also a project priority, aiming to exceed ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements and facilitate movement between cars for people in wheelchairs," adds the service pl.railmarket.com.

The construction of the new railway line connecting Nevada with California is expected to cost £9 billion. This investment was announced last December by Joe Biden. The first line is scheduled to be launched in time for the Summer Olympic Games, planned for 2028 in Los Angeles.

That's not all. The President announced an additional investment of £22 billion for the development of high-speed rail, including between Dallas and Houston in Texas, a distance of about 401 kilometres. Currently, travelling this distance by train takes 24 hours with a transfer.

The French want their piece of the pie

The German proposal defeated the project of the French conglomerate Alstom, manufacturer of the TGV trains that rush through France at speeds of 299-322 km/h.

"The French are disappointed but ready to seize future opportunities for introducing high-speed trains in America. They are already producing the Avelia Liberty trains, intended for the Boston-Washington route, where they cannot exceed speeds of 240 km/h, so they cannot be considered high-speed TGV trains. To date, Alstom has produced 13 of the 28 trains ordered in 2016 by the Barack Obama administration. These trains have not yet been delivered, as they are waiting for certification by the American rail transport safety authority," adds our source.