Transportation
BY ANNA LOTZ
Texas Central, Amtrak exploring high-speed rail partnership
Texas Central and Amtrak ocials are exploring a partnership to potentially advance the 240- mile high-speed rail project proposed to connect Houston and Dallas, Amtrak ocials announced in an Aug. 9 news release. Texas Central announced the high-speed rail project in 2014. Ocials have delayed the antic- ipated timeline for operations many times from 2023 to 2026, according to prior reporting. How- ever, construction has not yet begun on the route. Two-minute impact Amtrak’s announcement states the two entities are evaluating a partnership to further determine the project’s viability. “We believe many of the country’s biggest and fastest-growing metropolitan areas, like Houston and Dallas, deserve more high-quality high-speed, intercity rail service,” said Andy Byford, Amtrak senior vice president of high-speed rail develop- ment programs, in the release.
The project is anticipated to: • Provide travelers a 90-minute route between Houston and Dallas • Remove 12,500 cars per day from I-45 Zooming out Development of the project has been quiet since the Texas Supreme Court issued a 5-3 ruling upholding Texas Central’s right to use eminent domain to construct its planned high-speed railroad in June 2022. In addition to stations in Houston and Dallas, the proposed route is also slated to include a station in the Brazos Valley along Hwy. 30, just west of Hwy. 90, according to Texas Central. With Amtrak’s potential involvement, Travis County Judge Andy Brown said in an Aug. 9 state- ment he is advocating for the proposed high-speed rail to extend from College Station to Austin, San Antonio and beyond.
Texas Central’s proposed high-speed passenger rail will be modeled after Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains.
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