Imagine traveling to San Antonio, Houston or Dallas without dealing with traffic. Instead, you would ride a high-speed train.
On Wednesday, various city and county officials from around Texas held a small meeting in Austin with a big goal: to create a privately-run, high-speed rail service. State Senator Kirk Watson, D-Austin, was there.
“It means being able to schedule a business meeting or a family trip, or to see the Astros without worrying about traffic messing it up,” Sen. Watson said.
The Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation, a non-profit grassroots effort, is behind the plan. The THSRTC is eight years old.
The plan calls for a 490-mile long rail route called the “Texas T-bone Corridor.” It would connect Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
“Think of traveling 200 miles an hour, perhaps non-stop, from Austin to Dallas in about 50 minutes,” said Bill Jones, Mayor of Temple.
Still, there are plenty of hurdles to yet overcome. Funding, land acquisition, and proof of demand for the service are all in need. Then there is the question of cost, and officials have been vague. A mile of rail can cost anywhere from $25 million to $50 million.
“It depends on the kinds of bells and whistles you put on this type of system,” said Tim Welch, a council member who lives near Dallas.
One member of the THSRTC said the goal is to build the system at once, and not in phases, and to have it ready by 2020. The group plans to hold more forums around Texas in the months ahead.
