Texas university student governments endorse Houston-Dallas high-speed rail service

Student government associations at Sam Houston State University and the University of North Texas issued resolutions this month in support of Texas Central Railway's proposal to build a high-speed rail line from Dallas to Houston.

Both organization's resolutions emphasized that the service would allow students to commute to campus and access professional development opportunities in Dallas and Houston, according to a press release from the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP). The association has a campaign underway to recruit "the next generation of transportation leaders."

University of North Texas students' resolution stated that passenger trains are a vital element in Texas' development strategy; therefore, they "support state and federal support for the continued expansion of local passenger train service," NARP officials said.

The student associations also maintained that high-speed rail will be a critical factor in the area being economically competitive.

"What [Texas Central Railway] has done is provide a compelling vision of the future," said NARP President Jim Mathews. "NARP is committed to carrying that vision to other parts of the country and building a coalition of Millennials to demand the world class rail system Americans deserve.”

Texas Central Railway is a private, for-profit company pursuing a plan to build a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas that would transport riders between the cities in under 90 minutes.