Companies put out $100M to build high-speed rail from SoCal to Las Vegas

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (KABC) -- It's been a dream for decades. But now, a high-speed train connecting Southern California and Las Vegas could finally be on the fast track to reality.

On any given day, the only trains you'll see rolling through Victorville are freight trains. An occasional Amtrak train does stop there.

But soon, there could be something a little different and a lot faster: a high-speed train connecting Palmdale to Victorville, all the way to Las Vegas.

XpressWest and China Railway International have put out $100 million to start the project. Not only would it provide a comfortable and fast-way to get to Vegas, but you could avoid the 15 Freeway as well.

"The 15 Freeway is murder. Trying to get to Vegas for New Year's or any other holiday, it's like a three, four or five-hour delay," said Brigette Conyers of Victorville.

San Bernardino Associated Governments President Ryan McEachron said, "We welcome investments in multimodal options that provide residents with choices on how they travel to various destinations."

He also said the environmental hurdles for the Victorville to Vegas stretch have all been cleared.

"I would like to be able to get on the train, go to Vegas and get there as fast as I can," said Ann Skinner of Apple Valley.

Of course, some people are skeptical, saying they'll believe it when they see it.

"That would be nice, but it won't happen. They said a lot of things that was gonna happen and they never did," said Yolanda DeLara of Victorville.

Exactly how this project is going to be paid for is still unclear. But the company said if all goes well, construction could begin this time next year.