US, Japan Governments Express Support for Texas HSR

A proposed high-speed rail project would link Houston and Dallas using Japanese Shinkansen technology.

1 minute read

April 15, 2024, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Rendering of busy concourse at Houston train station for Texas Central train.

Rendering of proposed Texas Central concourse in Houston, Texas. | Texas Central / Houston concourse

A statement released during Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the United States expresses joint support from Japan and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for a proposed high-speed rail project that would connect Dallas and Houston, Texas, according to Smart Cities Dive’s Dan Zukowski.

The 240-mile project, known as Texas Central, would use Shinkansen technology and announced an exploratory partnership with Amtrak last year. It received a federal planning grant in December of 2023, but the company owes over $600,000 in delinquent property taxes and is embroiled in a lawsuit in the Texas Supreme Court over its property acquisition practices.

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