Will high-speed bullet train between Dallas and Houston ever become reality?
For nearly four decades, Texans have pushed for a bullet train to connect the state's largest cities.
With its vast size, traveling between Texas' major cities can take hours. Even the 35-mile drive from Dallas to Fort Worth can become a frustratingly long journey on its worst days.
In late 2023, the dream of high-speed rail seemed closer to reality when former President Joe Biden announced $8.2 billion in new grants as part of a broader nationwide rail initiative.
Now, however, that vision is facing major setbacks as the company behind the project reveals challenges with land acquisition and new ownership, Chron.com reported.
High-speed railway transportation, also known as bullet trains, can travel at speeds of up to 200 mph.
In Texas, the initiative would connect the state's two largest cities, Dallas and Houston, shortening the travel time from hours to 90 minutes. Nearly 100,000 residents travel the 240-mile journey between the two cities each week — and some even more frequently, according to a 2012 study conducted by NYU's Rudin Center for Transportation.
With stations planned at The Cedars neighborhood near Downtown Dallas and the Northwest Mall site in Houston, the train would depart every 30 minutes during peak periods each day and hourly during off-peak periods, according to Texas Central, a Dallas-based company that devised the plan. The train would also make one stop along the route in Grimes County.
More: Travis County Judge wants Austin included in planned Houston-Dallas bullet train project
According to an estimate from the Reason Foundation, the project is expected to cost at least $33.6 billion.
During a House committee hearing this week, Texas Central — the private company behind the high-speed rail project — confirmed that it has bought out its Japanese investors.
Company representative Andy Gent stated that Texas Central is now backed by Texas investor John Kleinheinz.
The hearing also revealed that the company has secured only about one-quarter of the land needed for the 240-mile rail line, having acquired roughly 1,600 land parcels, including around 500 single-family homes.
The bullet train project has been debated for decades, drawing controversy from the start.
In 2022, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Texas Central qualifies as a public interurban electric railway company, granting it the power of eminent domain. This ruling allows the company to acquire private land for construction, including residential properties, farms, and ranches.
One Dallas-area farmer told CNBC last year that he struggles to sleep at night, fearing the high-speed rail could cut through his property.
Despite the ongoing disputes, Gent attributed project delays to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also stated that Texas Central now needs more time 'to figure out if we can put the bigger transaction together with the Trump administration and the state of Texas.'
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Will Texas bullet train between Dallas and Houston ever come true?
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Craig Lord, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
