advertisement

---

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently kicked off a two-year study to determine the possibility of expanding passenger-rail service between Oklahoma City and south Texas.

The study will examine the best possible options for deploying passenger trains to connect metropolitan areas such as Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, Texas, and compare different types of service, such as existing Amtrak routes and a new high-speed rail system. The study also will outline potential funding options, such as public-private partnerships.

The $14 million study is being funded in part through a $5.6 million High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program grant. TxDOT is providing a 20 percent match.

If built, an Oklahoma City-to-south Texas line could provide the foundation for a high-speed or higher-performance rail system that eventually could connect all of Texas' major metropolitan areas, according to a press release.