A magnetic levitation train from Las Vegas to southern California that was designed to smooth traffic flow on the I-15 has been all but abandoned by its supporters. Nevada Senator Harry Reid, one of the project’s first champions, recently announced his support of a privately funded high-speed rail project that would be much less expensive than the maglev train.

“Maglev is going nowhere,” Reid told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The project, which has been studied for the past 30 years, would cost around $12 billion, according to Reid. The high-speed rail alternative, called DesertXpress, would be up and running in five years to the tune of $4 billion. Maglev would have been funded by tax dollars, while DesertXpress is privately owned and financed.

Maglev officials intend to proceed with their project, which they say will be completed in 2016. While the high-speed rail will run from Las Vegas to Victorville, the maglev train will connect Vegas to Anaheim. Both projects are currently conducting environmental impact statements, which are necessary before either can begin construction.

The corridor between southern California and Las Vegas was recently designated a high-speed rail corridor, and both the high-speed rail project and the maglev train can use the designation to more easily access federal funding. Reid intends to direct such funding toward DesertXpress rather than the maglev project.