I live in Charlotte NC, but I was born and raised in Pasadena CA and lived in Long Beach CA for over a decade. As a California ex-resident for the first 29 years of my life, I am still highly interested in the transit developments of Los Angeles MTA, Brightline, Metrolink and CAHSR. I just want this project to come to life. I think if you got with Siemens USA to build out one actual ready-to-use trainset, this would be a huge advantage in your favor. Get with Brightline as well. For this touring actual ready-to-use trainset, there can be one trainset with the following in this order:

1. CAHSR Siemens locomotive on one side, facing one way. Let’s call this the lead car even though the train can operate in both directions.
2. CAHSR standard or coach class car.
3. CAHSR first class car.
4. CAHSR dining room car.
5. Brightline West dining room car.
6. Brightline West Smart Car.
7. Brightline West Premium Car.
8. Brightline locomotive.
9. Purchase one of the locomotives that Caltrans has, perhaps. A diesel-powered locomotive
   because we do not have electric power yet. How else would it be towed?

With this, I would do yearly tours in major areas around Brightline West and CAHSR locations. Once a year, even tow it with the diesel-powered trains giving guests a sort-of-preview of what it would be like to ride the train.

San Diego: My idea is to start in San Diego, near the downtown San Diego downtown station. With major publicity with local media, people can come and see a ready-to-use trainset. This exhibition can also include merchants and food trucks. But the main feature is the dining room cars. Sell food, yes sell food on this thing. With the cars being connected, CAHSR and Brightline trains connected so people can go from one car to another, one can experience the future. This could be a Saturday event.

San Diego to Los Angeles ride: Then on Sunday, ALL ABOARD! Being towed by a diesel locomotive, the train can travel from San Diego to Rancho Cucamonga with actual passengers onboard. Charge for this. Ask Metrolink if you can store the vehicles in one of their yards. Even though there are different cars for different types of services, I would charge just enough to cover food. Both coach and first-class cars would be served a meal along the way, first-class meals. In fact, I would charge $190 one-way trip in first/premium class / $170 for coach and smart class. First-come first served.

With this cost, they can be given passes to ride from Racho to L.A. Union Station on Metrolink San Bernardino line, then catch Amtrak to San Diego. The cost can be all inclusive, full experience.

Rancho Cucamonga: The week after the train ride, the trains open during school hours. Many schools and colleges can do field trips and tour the train. On Saturday, open it up to the public doing the same as San Diego.

Las Vegas: The next trip would be Vegas, but no ride due to the length of time it would take to get there. Showcase the train to Vegas residents so they can see and experience the future of CAHSR and Brightline West. Be sure to put emphasis on how one can transfer from Brightline to CAHSR.

Los Angeles: The same thing, people can walk through the train and buy food on the train.

Going North: Palmdale, Bakersfield, and all stops along the way. Work with the local schools to do field trips. On a few of these stops, like the San Diego to Rancho Cucamonga trip, provide similar trips. Since the trip is running on freight lines, included in the cost is a reverse trip on Amtrak back home. For lines on Caltrans trains, cost can cover Caltrans tickets like from San Jose to San Francisco and back.

Now, to keep costs down, the locomotives can be built without the guts. Just the frame that can easily be taken apart again to install the engines and crew station. But a full shell/body of the locomotive would be great. I do not know if Brightline West has a color scheme just yet, but if they don’t, I would simply add the same decals that they use for Florida’s Brightline. For CAHSR, use decals that can represent what CAHSR “may” look like. It can be explained that the final decal design has not been finalized yet, but the fact that you are doing this would bring so much anticipation to the project.

Of course, you cannot please everyone. But I feel it will convert a few people to supporting CAHSR and Brightline West to show what the possibilities are. Yes, it is not running on CAHSR/Brightline West rights-of-way, but it would give a since of what’s to come.

For each presentation at these stop locations, I would invite local marching bands to perform, dancing groups, non-profit performance arts performers, local vendors, food trucks, and merchants.

The tickets for the rides can be done on the Brightline West web site for the Brightline West side of the train, and on the CAHSR website for the CAHSR side of the train. But both first/premium class and coach/smart class should be served the same food.

Last, if Brightline West is not willing to do this, proceed without them and then set the cars in this order.

It would be exciting if Brightline West and CAHSR can do this, but it would be okay if CAHSR would do this alone as well.

I am not a graphics artist, not even a little bit. Second, the Amtrak train is what I am using for CAHSR. I could not find a good side profile of the latest rendering of CAHSR trainsets. Maybe it will take a year to produce this, if budget allows. If so, please start now. Maybe in 2026 or 2027, this tour could begin. Do this every year, go around to different cities of CAHSR and Brightline West showcases these trains. It would bring so much.

1. CAHSR electric locomotive without the guts.
2. CAHSR first class cars.
3. CAHSR coach cars.
4. CAHSR dining cars.
5. Diesel locomotive for towing.

PLUS, please start building tracks on completed areas.

The above is long and may contains tons of grammar issue. It is my ideas to help promote CAHSR. One thing I forgot to mention is that at every station, once a year, start presenting the project to people. The more education people get, the better. Brightline West should do the same at different cities along the route. I suggest you join them as well, even in Vegas. At least in the southern section of CAHSR, Brightline West should be there as well. Also talk about the desert train cross corridor. A rep from that team should be at all events as well.

The featured image was AI generated.