Texas Pursues $14M Rail Study

DALLAS — The Texas Department of Transportation will leverage a $5.6 million federal grant to conduct a study of high-speed passenger rail along the Interstate 35 corridor between Laredo, Texas, and Oklahoma City.

The two-year study is budgeted at $14 million and comes amid expansion of the heavily traveled I-35 that carries so-called “NAFTA traffic” between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.  The North American Free Trade Agreement signed during the Clinton Administration brought a dramatic increase in traffic on Texas highways.

Even with expansion of I-35 to six lanes between San Antonio and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, traffic sometimes slows to a crawl.

“Rail has always been considered a good way to address congestion,” said Bill Glavin TxDOT’s rail division director. “This study will help define the path forward for passenger rail along a heavily traveled corridor and provide the citizens of Texas with an alternative to congested highways.”

Unlike Florida, which has refused federal grants for high-speed rail, Texas has actively pursued the possibility, despite Gov. Rick Perry’s persistent opposition to federal funding of other services. With the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2014 and a dramatic increase in transportation of petroleum products from South Texas, transportation experts have sought ways to increase capacity on the highways.

“To truly address congestion, we must look at more than just building and expanding highways,” said John Barton TxDOT deputy executive director & chief engineer. “Passenger rail is a strategic component for the future of Texas transportation.”

TxDOT has already held public meetings and met with citizens along the corridor to seek input on this study. Components of the study will include a business and financial plan with a list of priorities.  

The cost of building a system is unknown but is the major focus of the study.

If built, the Oklahoma City to South Texas line could provide the foundation for a high-speed or higher performance rail system that would eventually connect all the major metropolitan areas in Texas.

Segments of a rail system have been discussed for years. Austin and San Antonio have considered a commuter rail link covering the nearly 80 miles between the two cities as their suburbs become increasingly intertwined.

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Transportation industry Texas
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