Amtrak has been granted a substantial $64 million grant to resume planning for the Texas High-Speed Rail project, which had faced significant setbacks during the COVID pandemic.
The project has been steadily advancing through the initial planning and development phases for the past few years, garnering support from both Texans and representatives. It aims to create a high-speed rail route between Houston and Dallas, with a single stop in the Brazos Valley, that can be completed in less than 90 minutes.
Based on initial plans, the proposed Houston station would be situated at the Northwest Mall site, conveniently positioned near the junction of US 290 and Interstate 610.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded a grant of $63.9 million. This funding was part of a larger amount of $153 million that was made available by the FRA in early July. The funds were established as a result of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was enacted during the Biden Administration in November 2021, as reported by FRA. The primary objective of the grant funding is to support the establishment, revitalization, and improvement of intercity passenger rail services. In December 2023, Amtrak received a $500,000 grant, and now there is another influx of federal money.
In August 2023, Amtrak announced its interest in potentially collaborating with Texas Central, the company responsible for the Houston-Dallas corridor concept. In a surprising turn of events, Amtrak’s senior vice president and head of high-speed rail development, Andy Byford, made an announcement that Amtrak has taken over the project.
“One of the first things Amtrak did in taking over the project was to undertake research to see [if] the demand is still there post-COVID that the same research indicated there was pre-COVID,” he said in April during the 2024 Southwestern Rail Conference. “The actual forecast, in terms of the projected ridership, is very strong and that’s important because that means you can then make a business case for the capital investment.”
The status of Amtrak’s plans for the Texas High-Speed Rail Corridor remains uncertain. However, Byford mentioned in his presentation that the Houston to Dallas route seemed highly suitable for the project.
According to the April presentation, Byford announced that Amtrak and the Japanese government have reached a non-binding agreement to advance the project. Byford expressed optimism about the possibility of utilizing a state-of-the-art N700S Series Shinkansen train from Japan. This would result in the 240-mile route between Houston and Austin being completed in under 90 minutes at a speed of 205 MPH, making it the fastest average train journey in the world.
If Amtrak is able to achieve its ambitious goal, Byford believes it has the potential to usher in a new era of high-speed rail travel throughout the United States.
“If we can secure the necessary funding, our goal is to open in the early 2030s. This timeline encompasses testing, commissioning, trial operations, and all other necessary steps,” he stated. “Stay tuned for more updates.” There are still numerous challenges to overcome, but I truly believe that if we can successfully accomplish this, it will be a remarkable achievement for Texas.
Amtrak did not provide a comment in response to the request for information about the new grant. However, Byford informed the Texas Rail Advocates that the project has reached the final stage of the FRA Corridor Identification Program.
