193 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Houston, TX Chronicle, 7/29/14:

Would a proposed bullet train warm up Dallas-Houston relations?

If a proposed bullet train to Dallas ever becomes a reality, as the Houston Business Journal reported could happen by 2021, how would it affect Houston and Dallas relations? Would the cities learn to love each other and embrace their perceived differences?

Article

[Sloan]

Bullet Trains to Zip Between Dallas and Houston

An environmental impact study of the proposed route is already under way, paid in full by TCR. The study will take approximately 30 months and if all goes well, construction could start in 2017.

http://news.discover...ston-140804.htm

[KevinKorell]

The only other high-speed rail project in the works in the United States is in California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a 520-mile stretch of track that’s scheduled to be finished by 2029.

What about Michigan and Illinois?

I am still skeptical about this. While Dallas and Houston are both on Amtrak's map, they are not conveniently connected by conventional long distance rail; in fact one of them is only on a thrice-weekly route. This is the same walk-before-you-can-run philosophy that was misunderstood and eventually killed the Madison-Milwaukee train in Wisconsin and the 3-C Corridor in Ohio.

[KevinKorell]

Texas Tribune, 8/18/14:

The Bullet Train That Could Change Everything

For years, the Japanese company behind the world’s first and busiest high-speed rail system has been itching to enter the U.S. high-speed rail market, hoping to sell one of the world’s ripest passenger rail markets on its breathtakingly fast Shinkansen bullet trains.

Story

[CNJRoss]

Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX, 8/18:

Other Voices

The case for high-speed rail in Texas
By Peter LeCody

Downtown Dallas to downtown Houston in about 90 minutes. And not at 30,000 feet. It’s called high-speed rail, and plans are moving forward faster than most people realize.

That’s because the dynamics of moving people and goods in Texas are rapidly changing. Everyone wants to move here — a state where, unlike many others, we’re blessed with a government that embraces business and industry with a passion. That’s the upside.

But with more than 1,000 people per day moving to Texas from places like the West Coast, the Rust Belt and the Northeast, the state’s highway network faces massive challenges.

Peter LeCody is the president of Texas Rail Advocates, a Dallas-based group that supports freight and passenger rail development.

Continue.

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 9/8/14:

NARP resolution supports proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line

The National Association of Railroad Passengers' (NARP) board has endorsed the Texas Central Railway's (TCR) proposed high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston.

More

[lunarwhite]

Here is the new website for the Dallas-Houston High Speed Rail project.

http://dallashoustonhsr.com/

Many of the tabs are still dormant, but 'Maps and Pictures' shows all the routes initially considered and the two routes being studied in detail. Also 'About the Project' includes a timeline.

Also note that public meetings began Oct. 21 and will continue into next week.

[KevinKorell]

2021? Does that mean I should begin planning a Fest in Texas for 2022?

Nice website. But I remain skeptical that this will ever come to fruition without first having conventional rail service between Dallas and Houston. (I know there has been such a route in the past.) The Texas Eagle already has three sections - St. Louis, San Antonio, and Los Angeles -- so I don't think they would want to add a fourth section that branches off to Houston. Perhaps the Heartland Flyer could run through as an Oklahoma City-Houston train.

Just having a flashy website however doesn't mean service is any closer. If properly maintained it can keep potential customers abreast of the progress. But I am reminded of another project in Texas that has not moved much since it was announced. L-STAR (a regional train that will run between the Austin and San Antonio areas) has a nice website, but their timeline does not run beyond the "2016/2017" date for when the project will get a notice to proceed with final design and construction.

[lunarwhite]

Here is a report on the Dallas public meeting Oct. 21 with some more details.

http://www.dallasnew...il-revealed.ece

[KevinKorell]

I've merged Dallas-Houston HSR discussion into a single thread.

Now regarding the above Dallas Morning News item above....

The 240-mile project, which could be the first high-speed rail line in America, is expected to get people between the two cities in 90 minutes.

Everyone says that their high speed rail line will be the first in America. Illinois is already seeing results of several years of construction. And I thought California was more along the process long before Texas came to the party.

Developer Texas Central Railway identified three in Dallas: around the intersection of Interstates 20 and 45, near the intersection of I-45 and Loop 12, and near the southwest corner of downtown Dallas.

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the latter should happen.... Dallas Union Station -- already the city's transit hub.

Houston's eventual station location is a little different in my mind, because the current Amtrak location is a bit isolated. I'd like to see it moved a little bit east to underneath Main Street, so that there can be some interface with the light rail Red Line. The candidates in Houston for a station location aren't clear in this article but that may change once the Houston area has their public meeting.