Federal bucks are set to boost rail dreams in the Lone Star State, with $2.5 million earmarked for passenger rail service development, including a high-speed train touted to whiz folks between Houston and Dallas. This federal fistful of dollars, up to $500,000 of which is zooming Amtrak's way, will help draft up plans for the service, which could potentially cut the journey between the two Texan titans to a mere 90 minutes. This wallet-opening gesture from Uncle Sam doesn't signal a green light for the estimated $25 billion-to-$35 billion rail extravaganza just yet, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
The bullet train's blueprint envisions a "Brazos Valley" stop and has fingers crossed for a future where Japanese Shinkansen trains become an I-45 alternative. But despite all the bravado and a recent Amtrak development partnership, the project's still a distant dot on the horizon, years out from any actual digging in the dirt. According to the same Houston Chronicle piece, federal officials describe the project buffet on offer as indicative of "the strong potential" for both high-speed and conventional rail in Texas, yet the host of proposals on the table might just as well step on each other's toes.
Meanwhile, Amtrak and Texas Central Partners, rowing the same boat since 2016, have their eyes set on the prize: they want a piece of the Corridor ID Program pie. They're chomping at the bit to tap into grant programs for extra study and design doodles. Andy Byford, Amtrak's Senior VP of High-Speed Rail Development Programs, lauded the Dallas-Houston corridor as a "compelling proposition," citing its high-growth market smack dab in the U.S., according to an announcement covered by WFAA.
With more than just promises shooting back and forth, Texas Central CEO Michael Bui waxed optimistic about utilizing Shinkansen tech that might "revolutionize rail travel in the southern U.S.," as he spilled to WFAA. This proposed railroad romance isn't just about cutting travel times; it's also a potential knight in shining armor for the environment, potentially slashing greenhouse gas emissions by a hefty 100,000 tons a year.
Big city mayors have climbed aboard the hype train, too. Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson chimed in, saying that a high-speed rail line could "revolutionize transportation" and boost the city into a shiny, prosperous future, per the same WFAA report.
But bucking the trend, some rural Texans are giving the side-eye to the project. They're dug in their boots over property rights and condemning land for what they label a private company's pipe dream—spirits echoed by U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, who represents the countryside potentially in the train's path, in the words of the Houston Chronicle.
