Funding would include money for L.A.-Las Vegas route

The allocation would keep alive Amtrak's plans to bring daily service to Las Vegas from Los Angeles by early 1999.

Amtrak is scheduled to run a Spanish-made Talgo train between the two cities beginning in February.

Ivan Rushing, manager of communications for Amtrak West in Oakland, Calif., said the plans are contingent upon financial assistance from casino owners.

"We're still working with casino operators to bring them into the package," Rushing said.

Amtrak has committed $9 million for infrastructure improvements for the route along Interstate 15, between Las Vegas and Southern California.

The funding proposal was approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., a member of the subcommittee, said he was pleased with the approval.

"The big scare was that they were going to zero out Amtrak," he said. "We subsidize highways, we subsidize airports. Why shouldn't we subsidize rail service?"

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