The Flawed Federal Rule That Killed High-Speed Rail to Vegas

Considering how much the Obama administration has encouraged high-speed rail, the Department of Transportation's recent decision to suspend consideration of a loan for the XpressWest line between Las Vegas and Southern California came as a bit of a surprise. DOT's reasoning was even more unexpected. The problem had nothing to do with the cost or promise of the Vegas HSR line — both of which have been questioned in the past — and everything to do with a rule requiring rail operators to buy their all material from U.S. manufacturers.

Some background: the XpressWest plans were far from perfect. The initial phase of the multi-billion-dollar route would connect Vegas with Victorville, California, nearly a hundred miles east of Los Angeles. Eventually the tracks would reach Palmdale, making the full trip from L.A. accessible by rail; in the meantime, however, the idea that people driving to Vegas would pull over in Victorville and hop on the fast train felt more than a little naïve.