193 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Editorial written by the Mayors of the 3 cities, published in Dallas, TX Morning News, 3/31/14:

High-speed rail option good for Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston

We are proud to be mayors of three of the largest and fastest-growing cities in America. Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston have weathered the recent economic downturn and are now the engines powering our state’s tremendous job growth. While we celebrate the individual successes of our respective cities, we also recognize how important Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston are to each other.

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

The Dallas Morning News,4,2:

Editorial: Bullet-train momentum

There are different categories of momentum for a transportation project — the financial, technical and political — and success typically depends on all three.

It was in the political category that a privately funded Texas bullet-train venture got a major shot of octane last week, to the delight of those of us pulling for the project.

The boost came in the form of a joint endorsement from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

We can sum up and second their support this way: What’s not to like?

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[CNJRoss]

The Dallas (TX) Morning News, 4/7:

For high-speed rail's future in Texas, the private sector dares to go where government won't

If you make a big bet, go long on Texas.

That’s the idea behind a Dallas-to-Houston bullet train. The proposal isn’t new, but paying for it with private dollars is priceless. And it’s the kind of all-in gamble we’re famous for.

It’s OK to be skeptical. Lots of smart people are.

The United States has been touting high-speed rail for years. Texas even made a push in the early 1990s. Yet there’s still no bullet train in the country, at least nothing like what’s being proposed here.

That’s because the economics usually stink. Flying is cheaper, cars are more convenient and the U.S. population is too spread out. High-speed rail usually requires billions in subsidies, and we have better uses for that money.

That’s why the Texas Central Railway is quick to say: “This is not a government project.”

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[CNJRoss]

The Dallas (TX) Morning News, 4/8:

Public tie could slow plan for high-speed rail between Dallas, Houston

by Mitchell Schnurman
Columnist

If one bullet train is good, how about two?

A private plan for high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston is starting to gain some traction. Now local leaders want to piggyback on the project and add a leg from Dallas to Fort Worth, with a stop in Arlington.

The add-on would make a heavy lift heavier. Most bullet trains lose money, partly because politicians demand costly extensions.

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[KevinKorell]

Politico, 6/4/14:

Texas Central sees 90-minute Dallas-Houston commute at 205 mph

A Texas company hopes to create a high-speed rail corridor to move passengers at speeds that would leave Amtrak’s Acela in the dust — all with private funds.

This story

[CNJRoss]

AP via Houston Chronicle, 6/25:

Study could start on possible Texas 'bullet train'

HOUSTON (AP) — Plans for a so-called "bullet train" that backers say would carry passengers between Houston and Dallas in 90 minutes are expected to clear an early hurdle.

Federal officials on Wednesday are scheduled to announce if Texas and the private company behind the rail project can begin environmental reviews.

Read more.

[CNJRoss]

ProgressiveRailroading.com 6/26:

FRA launches EIS process for Texas Central Railway's bullet-train proposal

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday officially posted a notice of intent that it intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for Texas Central Railway's (TCR) proposed dedicated high-speed rail system from Dallas to Houston.

SNIP

The FRA will accept written and oral comments on the EIS for the next 90 days. In addition to the alternatives, the statement will analyze the potential impacts of stations, power or fueling stations and maintenance facilities to support high-speed rail operations.

More here.

[CNJRoss]

TexasCentralHSR Promotional Video:
Dallas/Fort Worth to Houston in 90 minutes (3:06)

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, June 2014:

Texas Central Railway's plan to build a Dallas-to-Houston bullet train is gaining speed

While politicians and lawyers continue their high-profile brawl over California's attempt to build a San Francisco-to-Los Angeles bullet train by 2029, a group of Texas business executives — with help from Central Japan Railway (JR Central) — have been developing without much fanfare a plan to open a privately run, Dallas-to-Houston bullet train in just six years.

If the folks behind Texas Central Railway (TCR) succeed, the 200-plus-mph train will transport passengers on the 240-mile trip between the two cities in 90 minutes.

For the past four years, TCR has been researching, planning and preparing its proposal for the project, estimated by local news media to cost about $10 billion. Since passing a project milestone earlier this year — obtaining a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to begin environmental impact studies — TCR officials have been a bit more public about their plans. At the same time, the FRA and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are collaborating on an environmental impact analysis for a potential high-speed line between Dallas and Fort Worth — with a stop in Arlington — that could complement TCR’s Dallas-to-Houston’s service.

TCR officials insist their project will be a strictly private venture, a strategy they say will enable them to bypass the bureaucracy and complete the project much faster than if it were government funded.

Company execs also believe there’s money to be made in U.S. high-speed rail when service is offered in city-to-city markets that meet certain criteria. And in the Dallas-Houston corridor, TCR executives think they’ve found the right market to invest in what they believe will be a profitable rail service.

Continue reading here.

[KevinKorell]

All, I noticed we had two different threads going concurrently about the proposed Texas high speed rail between Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, so I have merged them here into one and adjusted the topic title.