Will Texas High-Speed Rail Become a Reality?

The proposed Texas Central high-speed rail line linking Houston and Dallas, long considered a pipe dream by many rail advocates, is inching closer to reality, reports Joshua Fechter for Houston Public Media.

Amtrak officials consider the route ideal for high-speed rail. It would connect two of the country's largest metropolitan regions, which haven't had any form of passenger rail between them since Amtrak shuttered a Dallas-Houston route in 1995. And it would run through relatively flat land, allowing the train to reach top speeds and travelers to bypass congestion on Interstate 45.

Amtrak took the lead on the project in April. However, a lack of robust support for rail projects has been plaguing the proposal. In Dallas, city council members expressed concern that routing the train through downtown would conflict with redevelopment plans. “However, moving the line could delay the project's federal environmental approval up to a year, which the agency needs in order to begin planning and financing work.”

Ultimately, “Rail advocates acknowledge that expanding or adding passenger rail anywhere in the state will be costly and require substantial public investment.” Texas Central has acquired roughly 30 percent of the land needed for the project, but could still encounter opposition as it works to acquire the rest of the right-of-way.