Las Vegas Railway Express

Las Vegas Railway Express was an American rail-transport venture established in 2010 to develop passenger rail service between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Its proposed service was marketed as the X Train and was intended to use existing freight railroad infrastructure, with upgraded passenger cars, premium onboard amenities, and a business model aimed partly at leisure travelers heading to Las Vegas. The company was led by Michael Barron, an entrepreneur whose background was principally in real estate. It emerged from the combination of two earlier ventures, one associated with promotional merchandising and another with the purchase of defaulted mortgages. The rail concept had been promoted as early as 2009, with initial plans calling for service to begin in 2011. Those plans depended on agreements with Amtrak, BNSF Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad, because the proposed Los Angeles–Las Vegas route used track controlled by those companies. Nevada granted final approval for the proposed operation in March 2012. The company began issuing stock the following May, but by September had raised only about $2.3 million against an estimated $35 million in initial startup requirements. In November 2012, it reached an agreement with Union Pacific concerning the use of UP track between Daggett, California, and Las Vegas. The agreement reportedly required Las Vegas Railway Express to fund substantial infrastructure work, including capacity improvements and the relocation of Union Pacific facilities in Las Vegas. The company still lacked a completed operating agreement with Amtrak, which was expected to address both train operations and access to BNSF trackage. The proposed X Train evolved repeatedly. Early plans envisaged five operating days per week, with a daily round trip from Thursday through Monday and a possible later expansion to forty weekly trips. The conventional journey was estimated at approximately four and a half hours, while a future upgraded or partially high-speed route was projected to reduce the trip to roughly three and a half hours. The company also considered a route through Mojave and Barstow that would avoid congestion around California's Cajon Pass. A broader development concept included a 500-room X Hotel above a proposed Las Vegas station. The business faced continuing financing, infrastructure, and operating challenges. In November 2013, it terminated its Union Pacific operating agreement, attributing the decision to an undisclosed off-balance-sheet financing arrangement. The company subsequently discussed public-private partnerships and broader upscale passenger-rail opportunities rather than limiting itself to the Las Vegas route. It also selected Rail Enterprises in 2013 to refurbish passenger cars and continued to announce revised target dates, including proposed starts in 2014, 2019, 2020, and later 2023. None of these service dates resulted in a launched passenger operation. In May 2017, the company sold its operation and branding to X Rail Entertainment. In 2018 it proposed changing its corporate name to United Rail Inc. and selected First Transit Group as a prospective train operator, while later discussions reportedly involved Amtrak. By 2020, however, the company had acquired the assets of Geocommand Software and rebranded as Maptelligent, Inc. Subsequent regulatory descriptions focused on location-data software for emergency responders rather than rail transportation. The X Train therefore remained a proposed service and never became an operating intercity rail brand.

Las Vegas Railway Express developed from a passenger-rail concept promoted in 2009 and was formally formed in January 2010 through the combination of two earlier businesses. Led by Michael Barron, the venture sought to establish an upscale rail connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The proposed service was branded the X Train and was designed to use existing freight railroad corridors while offering a more comfortable, leisure-focused travel experience. The original operating plan called for trains to run five days a week, with round trips from Thursday through Monday. The company contemplated later expansion to as many as forty weekly trips. Early presentations described Los Angeles Union Station as the primary origin, while also mentioning the possibility of using the San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot. The route depended on access to trackage controlled by Union Pacific and BNSF Railway and on an operating relationship with Amtrak, which was expected to haul the private passenger cars. The company initially expected service to begin in 2011, but agreements with the relevant infrastructure owners and operators were not completed. Nevada granted final approval in March 2012, and the company began issuing stock in May. By September, however, only approximately $2.3 million had been raised against an estimated $35 million in startup costs. In November, Las Vegas Railway Express announced an agreement with Union Pacific covering the section between Daggett, California, and Las Vegas. The arrangement required significant payments for track improvements, additional capacity, and changes to Union Pacific facilities in Las Vegas. The necessary Amtrak and BNSF arrangements were still unresolved. Rolling-stock plans also developed during this period. By November 2012, the company said it had acquired twelve passenger cars and expected to begin refurbishment. In January 2013 it selected Rail Enterprises of Orlando, Florida, for rebuilding work. The intended trainset ultimately comprised sixteen passenger cars hauled by three EMD F59PH locomotives. Twelve cars were expected to provide first-class accommodation with assigned seats, televisions, and a bar area, supported by lounge cars and a service car containing crew quarters and supplies. The projected refurbishment cost was about $1 million per car, although the work and operating launch were repeatedly delayed. In November 2013, the company terminated its Union Pacific agreement. It attributed the move to an undisclosed off-balance-sheet financing arrangement, while the agreement itself had reportedly required approximately $66 million in track improvements before passenger operations could use the route. In December, the company shifted toward seeking public-private partnerships for premium passenger rail services across the United States. It continued to discuss delivery of refurbished cars and alternative approaches to launching the service. In October 2014, the company began engineering a revised Los Angeles–Las Vegas route via Mojave and Barstow. The route was intended to avoid the congested Cajon Pass crossing. The planned infrastructure concept included possible double-tracking between Yermo and Las Vegas for higher-speed operation. The company also proposed a 500-room hotel above a future Las Vegas station, called The X Hotel. Travel time was described as approximately four and a half hours using conventional service, with a possible reduction to about three and a half hours following infrastructure upgrades. The proposed launch date moved several times. The company discussed service in 2014, September 2019, July 2020, and later 2023. In 2017, it sold the operation and branding to X Rail Entertainment. In 2018, it proposed the name United Rail Inc., selected First Transit Group as a prospective operator, and later held discussions with Amtrak. No passenger service began. By 2020, the company had moved away from the railway project. It acquired assets of Geocommand Software and adopted the name Maptelligent, Inc. A subsequent SEC filing described a location-data business serving emergency responders and did not identify the X Train or the Las Vegas rail project as an ongoing operation. The Las Vegas Railway Express brand consequently remains associated with a proposed but unlaunched passenger railway.

• 2020

  Rebranded as Maptelligent

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  Following the acquisition of Geocommand Software assets, the company moved into emergency-response location-data software and adopted the Maptelligent, Inc. identity.

• 2018

  Potential operator and corporate-name changes

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  The company proposed the United Rail Inc. name and selected First Transit Group as a prospective operator before later discussions with Amtrak.

• 2017

  X Train operation and branding transferred

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  The company sold its operation and X Train branding to X Rail Entertainment.

• 2014

  Alternative route engineering begins

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  Engineering began on a Mojave–Barstow route intended to avoid the Cajon Pass bottleneck.

• 2013

  Rolling-stock refurbishment contractor selected

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  Rail Enterprises was selected to refurbish the passenger cars intended for the X Train.

• 2013

  Union Pacific agreement ended

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  Las Vegas Railway Express terminated its Union Pacific operating agreement while continuing to seek financing and operating arrangements.

• 2012

  Nevada approval and financing effort

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  Nevada granted final approval in March, followed by a stock-issuance program beginning in May to fund the proposed operation.

• 2012

  Union Pacific access agreement announced

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  The company announced an agreement concerning the use and improvement of Union Pacific track between Daggett and Las Vegas.

• 2010

  Las Vegas Railway Express formed

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  The company was formed in January through the combination of two earlier ventures.

• 2009

  Southern California–Las Vegas rail concept promoted

  [1]Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org

  The future company began promoting the idea of a new passenger rail connection between Southern California and Las Vegas.

An upscale, leisure-oriented passenger rail alternative between Southern California and Las Vegas, positioned around premium seating, lounge facilities, onboard service, and a more convenient alternative to driving or flying.

• Intercity passenger rail service

  X Train

  The X Train was the proposed flagship service of Las Vegas Railway Express. It was intended to connect Southern California with Las Vegas using existing railroad corridors, initially involving Union Pacific and BNSF infrastructure and a planned Amtrak operating relationship. The concept emphasized premium leisure travel, with assigned seating, televisions, bar facilities, lounge cars, and onboard service. Proposed schedules and routes changed repeatedly, and the service never entered commercial operation.

• Rail rolling stock

  X Train passenger cars

  The company planned to assemble a sixteen-car trainset, including twelve first-class passenger cars, several lounge cars, and a service car with crew quarters and supplies. The cars were to receive interior, mechanical, and furnishing upgrades, with Rail Enterprises selected for refurbishment. Three EMD F59PH locomotives were planned to haul the trainset. The rolling stock was part of the proposed operation and did not support a launched scheduled service.

• Rail-linked hospitality development

  The X Hotel

  The X Hotel was a proposed 500-room upscale hotel to be built above or alongside a future Las Vegas rail station as a later phase of the project. It formed part of the company's broader station-area and destination-development concept rather than an operating hotel business.

• 2020

  Exit the railway business and enter mapping softwareStrategy

  Background

  Repeated projected launch dates had passed without the X Train beginning service.

  Action taken

  The company acquired assets of Geocommand Software and rebranded as Maptelligent, Inc., focusing its stated business on location data for emergency responders.

  Aftermath

  The railway project ceased to be described as an ongoing business concern in the company's subsequent regulatory filing.

  Source

• 2017

  Sell the X Train operation and brandingM&A

  Background

  The company had not yet launched its proposed rail service and continued to face infrastructure, financing, and operating challenges.

  Action taken

  It sold the operation and branding associated with the X Train to X Rail Entertainment.

  Aftermath

  The company continued to explore corporate and operating changes, but the passenger service remained unlaunched.

  Source

• 2014

  Develop a Mojave–Barstow routeStrategy

  Background

  The originally contemplated route faced congestion associated with the Cajon Pass rail crossing.

  Action taken

  The company began engineering a route through Mojave and Barstow, California, intended to bypass the Cajon Pass.

  Aftermath

  The revised route did not lead to a launched passenger service.

  Source

• 2013

  Terminate Union Pacific agreementStrategy

  Background

  The proposed operation required access to Union Pacific infrastructure and major track improvements, but the company also faced unresolved financing and operating arrangements.

  Action taken

  Las Vegas Railway Express ended its Union Pacific operating agreement and cited an undisclosed off-balance-sheet financing arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The company shifted attention toward public-private partnerships and later pursued alternative routing and operating concepts.

  Source

1. 1Las Vegas Railway Expressen.wikipedia.org