Fernley firm to develop high speed train line

FERNLEY - A Fernley man and his company of 148 associates are seeking to develop a high-speed train route that would connect several communities in Northern Nevada and Northern California.

Joseph Leone, president of the Cal-Nevada Super Speed Train Project, envisions a Maglev station in Fernley, Sparks and Reno in the near future and the super commuter train on its guideway soon.

"Few people are aware of it," he said. "The governor knows about it, and we're registered with the state as a non-profit corporation."

A Maglev is an elevated rapid transit train that "levitates" above a magnetic field and can travel at speeds exceeding 300 mph. It is not affected by inclement weather and doesn't pollute.

"The first step in building the system is to run 254 miles from Fernley to El Cerrito, Calif., to the Del Norte BART station with stops along the way. There will be a Maglev station in Fernley, Tracy-Clark, Sparks and Reno," Leone said of the first phase of the project.

He said the nonprofit, privately owned public transportation system would accommodate existing infrastructure.

"It will be the first Maglev system west of the Mississippi. Every city wants one," Leone said. "We are planning to go down the center of the I-80 corridor, building the Maglev stations over top of the freeway with parking garages and shopping malls."

No newcomer to possibilities in transportation, Leone has 28 years experience in the business, and his partner has 30 years. Leone said he has been involved in the Super Speed Train Project for nearly 20 years. He sees the results of his efforts on the horizon.

He said the Maglev could be the answer to local transportation problems.

"The system in China has already moved over 80 million people," Leone said.

For more information about the Super Speed Train Project, contact Joseph Leone at P.O. Box 1516, Fernley, NV 89408.