Amtrak,Texas Central join to explore Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line

Amtrak and Texas Central Partners are exploring opportunities to advance planning and analysis associated with Texas Central’s proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line.

Amtrak and the private, for-profit railroad company have cooperated on various initiatives since 2016, and the two are now evaluating a "potential partnership to further study and potentially advance the project" to further determine its viability, Amtrak officials said yesterday in a press release.

"If we are going to add more high-speed rail to this country, the Dallas-to-Houston corridor is a compelling proposition and offers great potential," said Andy Byford, Amtrak's senior vice president of high-speed rail development programs.

Amtrak officials believe that many of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan areas — like the 240-mile, Dallas-to-Houston corridor — deserve high-speed passenger-rail service, according to Byford.

"[W]e are are proud to bring our experience to evaluate this potential project and explore opportunities with Texas Central so the state can meet its full transportation needs," he said.

The proposed high-speed rail line would offer a total travel time of less than 90 minutes between two of the top five major U.S. metropolitan areas and would complement future, new and improved corridor and long-distance service in the southern region, Amtrak officials said.

Texas Central and Amtrak have submitted applications to several federal programs in connection with further study and design work for the potential segment, including the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety and Improvements (CRISI) grant program, the Corridor Identification and Development program, and the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP-National) grant program.

In 2016, Amtrak and Texas Central entered into agreements to provide through-ticketing using the Amtrak reservation system and other support services for the planned high-speed rail line.

"This high-speed train, using advanced, proven Shinkansen technology, has the opportunity to revolutionize rail travel in the southern U.S., and we believe Amtrak could be the perfect partner to help us achieve that," said Texas Central Chief Executive Officer Michael Bui. "We appreciate Amtrak’s continued collaboration and look forward to continuing to explore how we can partner in the development of this important project."

Byford joined Amtrak in April to begin developing a team focused on high-speed opportunities throughout the United States. Previously, he served as president of MTA New York City Transit. In his newly created role at Amtrak, he will develop and lead the execution of the railroad’s long-term strategy for high-speed rail throughout the country, Amtrak officials said.

Texas Central has fought to advance its proposal for an elevated, Dallas-to-Houston rail line on which trains would travel at speeds of up to 205 mph for the past several years. The company’s plan has faced multiple setbacks, including lawsuits and opposition from local landowners.