Anaheim-Vegas Maglev Train Gets Initial $45M for Environment Study

According to Engadget, looks like we may see a Maglev train in the US. While I'm definitely happy to see this come to life, I wonder if it's just a pie in the sky as Americans will find a reason to oppose this even though it's clearly needed.

It's been a while since we heard anything about the proposed Anaheim-Las Vegas maglev train. As of Friday, the project is moving forward as part of a transportation bill signed by President Bush that puts aside $45 million for the 300 mile-per-hour train. While the project initially called for a $3- to $5 billion budget, this little chunk of money will get things rolling (or, as the case may be, floating). The train is projected to whisk people from Disneyland to Vegas in under two hours. No word on proposed launches or actual construction, but we assume Disney will get involved with some extra cash at this point.

While I'm totally for this project, I wonder why they are choosing Maglev? TGV Electric-like conventional steel-rail trains are just as fast and don't cost nearly as much. I'm thinking maybe it's just a gimmick because whenever people hear of Maglev they think of awesome. Hopefully, the study will show that using a conventional TGV style will be better and if it does go through they can implement it into the possible future California HSR Network.