Amtrak has been trying to get LA-LAS service restarted since AT LEAST 2000. They were going to pay for the required track upgrades for Double-tracking and 150mph service, but they have been stymied by ENVIRONUT LAWSUITS, something about a desert rat, or some such.
And they can do it for 1/100th of what this maglev nightmare would cost.
Maglev’s elevated guideway would certainly leave a smaller “footprint” on the desert ecosystem. But as much as I promote Maglev, even I can’t justify the cost just because of some desert rodent. It just isn’t the right route for Maglev... not unless you really want to go 300 mph, of course. There ARE advantages to that and it IS a heavily traveled route. I just happen to believe that there are better routes to build first.