Amtrak currently operates just one trip per day between the two cities.
The Texas Department of Transportation issued a study that assesses opportunities adding more passenger rail service between Austin and San Antonio, reports Richard Webner in Express News.
"Yet there is a big barrier to making it happen: The owner of the tracks, Union Pacific, doesn't appear to be interested." Union Pacific did not participate in the study, and a 2024 letter from the company said they were not looking to host more passenger trains.
The study outlines infrastructure improvements which could allow for more passenger trains without impeding freight traffic. The estimated cost of the improvements is anywhere from $810 million to $1.9 billion.
The Texas Eagle, the Amtrak train that currently only runs once a day between the two cities, only arrives on time 56% of the time, Webner adds. "The study considers options for running passenger trains two times, four times and eight times a day between San Antonio and Austin, stopping in San Marcos and New Braunfels along the way."
Editor's note: This article and headline were updated on July 13, 2026 to correct that the study does not advocate for passenger rail, but merely outlines potential options for expanding service.
Read the full story: TxDOT again pushes S.A. to Austin rail, but will Union Pacific play ball?
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