Brightline West Vegas To SoCal Train May Cost $400 Roundtrip

This ain't it, Brightline West. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Brightline founder Wes Edens said that the a roundtrip on the planned 235 mile long train line bringing passengers between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California could cost as much as $400. If that is the case, we'd like to get off at the next stop.

If you are looking for a vision of what Brightline West will look like, look towards the east. Brightline has been operating a train between Miami and Orlando and will soon expand to Tampa. All destinations that are relatively close to one another that are close enough to justify perhaps not flying. The difference between that project and this one is where the line terminates. Brightline's Miami stop is in the heart of the city. In Orlando, it terminates at Orlando International Airport and a relatively quick ride to nearby Walt Disney World. The planned extension to Tampa will terminate near downtown.

When it comes to Brightline West, the convenience is a little less pronounced (unless of course you are really interested in shopping at Ontario Mills outlet mall.)

The planned route will shuttle people from Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road to Rancho Cucamonga's MetroLink station, right near the Ontario International Airport. If you want to get to Los Angeles from there, you'll have to hop off Brightline, onto MetroLink and spend more time on the train. And if you were looking to go to San Diego or the beaches of Orange County... you may want to get a nice long Uber or Lyft.

Time is money and we are short on both. On the high end, we know Brightline West wants to charge as much as $400. Driving the 235 miles to Rancho Cucamonga in an average 28mpg vehicle would take around 8.5 gallons. At $4.50 a gallon that'd cost $76.50 round trip. Oh, and you'll be able to continue driving to your planned destination.

Flying? It all depends on which direction and when. Las Vegas to Ontario for this Friday, March 15th and returning on Sunday, March 17th is as low as $118 roundtrip on Frontier as of publishing this article. For Southern Californians looking to get to Las Vegas for the same dates, it bumps up to $270 roundtrip. Still far below $400.

So Brightline West will cost considerably more. But hey, you're not having to drive. Just sit back on Wifi and enjoy, right? Well, true. But don't think it'll save you much time. The train company believes the ride will run 3.5 hours. Now obviously on a day of mass exodus (weekends, we are looking at you) things will be a lot faster on the train. That drive will take about 3.5 hours with no bathroom or food breaks.

When you compare that to flying, it's a bit more complicated. We all know the rule of thumb "you should be at the airport two hours before boarding". But you don't do that. No one does. Get there an hour beforehand and go through security. The flight (without a delay) takes around an hour. You're getting to lovely Ontario International nearly an hour faster. And you'll have access to the same MetroLink system to head into the city.

We are all for high speed rail in America. But if the trip is going to take just as long, and cost twice as much (or more) than the current options, the project has derailed before it starts.

Man, does Las Vegas love an implosion. When a casino "goes down" on the Strip, it is an absolute spectacle. People gather late at night to watch things go boom. With the Tropicana set to close in April, a lot of people are getting ready to plan for their next implosion party. (Don't buy the balloons yet, the property hasn't determined how they'll do it).

But considering we've got TNT on the brain, let's come up with a list of the the properties that we think might be the next to go on the Las Vegas Strip. But before that...

Over the years, a bunch of properties have had their date with a detonator. While some of them have been pedestrian, others have absolutely brought the fire.

When the Stardust went down in 2007, it was a spectacle. A late-night 2am fireworks display followed by a pyrotechnics countdown on the building itself. This could very well be the high-water mark of Las Vegas implosions.

When the Hacienda went down in 1996, it was part of a New Years Eve celebration. The building went down right at midnight... east coast time. That way viewers on Fox could countdown to Michael Buffer delivering a play on his trademark phrase "let's get ready to crumble!"

The Landmark went down a year earlier in 1995 and probably takes the cake as the most fun building to sheer in half and crash to the ground. The property was once owned by billionaire Howard Hughes, who also owned KLAS-TV, and a bunch of land in the west side of the valley that has since become Summerlin. The guy was "peed in jars" levels of crazy... but they the property was pretty cool! And that blast of dirt at the end was apocalyptic.

Now that we've gotten a taste of the good ol' days, let's look to the future. If not the Tropicana... then who should be next to go?

There are some that believe if a property has a street named after it, it should be protected at all costs. The Sahara opened in 1952 and hosted many of the greats. Back in 2011, the property changed hands and eventually became the SLS Las Vegas. The rebrand was decent and the remodel was jaw dropping... but it didn't make many waves in the city. Eventually the legendary Sahara name came roaring back, and the property has been the beneficiary of many concert events across the street at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. We like what they've done with the property. But at the very least the parking garage has got to go.

This won't happen anytime soon, although it should. The clown property has seen better days but recently owner Phil Ruffin has put some cash into fixing the property's iconic neon sign. Is it pretty? No. But is the property paid for and an ATM for Ruffin? Yes. The property is sitting on over 100 acres of land - about 14 more than Resorts World! That is a lot of land to do a lot of things on. But the one thing Circus Circus has going for it that Resorts World and Fontainebleau do not? Low expectations and costs.

Say it with us... "blow it up!" The property is the home to Denny's, White Castle, and likely the worst accommodations on the Las Vegas Strip. It is actually quite shocking that this could be nestled near The Venetian. Sure, people need discount options but this is centrally located land. There is speculation that the owners have bigger plans for the property. The only thing that might stop this from being an implosion is the proximity to Harrah's. Unless...

First, we need to save Donny Osmond. Then, send the property packing. It has been open since 1972 and now has become a bit of a forgotten child between and across from several iconic landmarks. Of all the properties we think could be erased on this list, Harrah's and Casino Royale may take the cake. There is only so much you can update. We think if you were to keep Carnival Court and blow up the rest, many wouldn't notice.

Just talking about blowing up the Flamingo hurts. Yes, it is dated. Yes it is centrally located and if it were something of Resorts World or Fontainebleau's caliber with that location they'd be a juggernaut. But... this is the Flamingo. It has a street. Is the building ugly? Sure. Is the neon incredible? You bet. Just the history alone, you can't. Even Barbary Coast got a second (and third and fourth) life. Nevermind. We take this back.

Don't think you got out of this unscathed, MGM Resorts. The time has come for Excalibur. Of all the properties, we might feel the most strongly about this one. The property has been the "ugh fine, it's cheap" option for quite a while now. But there is so much space that is going unused and the theming is so weak at this point that there is no better time than now to let it rip. A new baseball stadium (supposedly) being opened across the street. The Knights. The Raiders. All walking distance. Tournament Of Kings? Thunder From Down Under? Australian Bee Gees? Please walk a safe distance away. We will find homes for you. Building? Ya gotta go.

The Las Vegas Strip technically ends at Sahara. But if you consider The Strat part of the Strip, first, sorry you're wrong. But second, sure, we'll give you a taste. The Strat has done some pretty great stuff lately to improve the property and their rooms. Plus the new Atomic Golf opening soon looks like it will be fun. But... we all saw that Landmark implosion. Admit it. It was cool. Imagine The Strat going down? That could be incredible! Plus, let's face it, it would be hilarious watching half the valley get lost after losing the one landmark they use to get a grasp on where they are in the city.