Three mayors endorse high-speed rail project between Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth

Late last week, the mayors of Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, jointly announced their support for a high-speed rail route between the cities as promoted by the Texas Central High-Speed Railway.

This announcement marks the first time that the three cities have come together to back a project that will mutually benefit each municipality, the mayors said in a press release.

Texas Central High-Speed Railway is a private, for-profit Texas company working to bring a high-speed rail route between the three cities. The company is working with Central Japan Railway.

"Our residents have historically relied on traveling to Dallas-Fort Worth by air or car, but I am excited to support a clean, safe and fast commute for millions of our residents who frequently visit Dallas-Fort Worth for family, friends and business," said Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

Nearly 50,000 Texans travel back and forth between Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth more than once a week on Interstate 45 each day. Traveling between the two cities takes about four hours, but the Texas Department of Transportation has projected that commute to increase to close to seven hours by 2035.

"Not only will high-speed rail significantly reduce travel times and traffic congestion for Dallas and Houston area residents, but it will also create new, high-paying jobs and stimulate economic growth," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.

As Texas Central High-Speed Railway continues to work on the privately funded high-speed rail route, an effort has also been set in motion to extend high-speed rail service from Dallas through Arlington and into Fort Worth. As part of that effort, the Texas Transportation Commission last week appointed members of the North Texas High Speed Rail Commission to find innovative ways to build a high-speed rail system between the three points.