Amtrak has further outlined its plan to bring high-speed rail to Texas, with a route connecting Dallas and Houston.
The proposal, discussed this week at the Move America conference in Austin for transport companies, seeks to provide a fast, efficient alternative to congested highways.
During a keynote address, Amtrak’s vice president of high-speed rail, Andy Byford, discussed the potential of the proposed rail link.
“We believe Dallas to Houston represents a compelling corridor. It’s the most obvious one in the country in terms of the distance, in terms of the population, in terms of the projected ridership,” Byford said.
The rail line, if completed, would utilize 200 mph Japanese bullet train technology to reduce travel times between the cities to under 90 minutes. It takes three and a half hours by car.
Though the Dallas-Houston rail line has garnered excitement, Byford made it clear that the project was still in its planning phase, with environmental and design work needed before approval could be secured.
A Japanese Shinkansen bullet train, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, June 13, 2020. Amtrak has further outlined its plan to use Shinkansen technology to bring high-speed rail to Texas, with a route connecting Dallas and Houston.
Uncredited/Kyodo via Associate Press
He also noted that Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is a key partner in the endeavor.
“The next six months are going to be very busy,” Byford said, referencing upcoming studies on ridership, revenue projections, and final design elements.
The Dallas-Houston rail link could reduce congestion on Interstate 45, Amtrak said, predicting a reduction of 12,000 to 15,000 cars a day.
Byford also mentioned the environmental benefits, noting the project could cut carbon emissions, aligning with global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.
Newsweek contacted Amtrak via email for comment.
While the project has garnered widespread support from urban planners, environmentalists, and local officials, rural opposition remains a significant hurdle.
Earlier in September, at a meeting of the Regional Transportation Council, an independent policy body of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, officials discussed a proposal to use eminent domain powers to take land from private property owners as part of the project.
Texans Against High-Speed Rail, a group of landowners and local officials, has voiced concerns about this and about and taxpayer funding.
Kirbie Ferrell, a policy analyst for the Eno Center for Transportation and a native Texan, previously told Newsweek that a lot of Texans had concerns that their land and property would be infringed upon.
“Texas has this philosophy of private property, protecting your property, property that’s been in families for generations,” she said. “I would say that’s the root of it. Texans protect their property.”
Despite the pushback, Amtrak’s has plans to extend the project beyond the Dallas-Houston corridor.
Byford said that, with political support, it seeks to improve rail services throughout the Texas Triangle, which includes San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston.
Richard Andreski, president of Trinity Metro, a Tarrant County-based transit agency, echoed this sentiment, and told the conference there was strong public support for rail investment.
“We’re seeing people using the train for every trip—entertainment, connecting to leisure travel, business travel, not just traditional commutes,” Andreski said. “The opportunity for us is to continue to lean into that trend.”
