Can Amtrak Finally Bring High-Speed Rail To Texas?

After decades of research, the U.S. remains without authentic high-speed rail options. Federal planners believe that a route connecting major cities in Texas may be an ideal fit.

In 2014, a group organized under the name Texas Central announced plans to connect Dallas to Houston with a bullet train that travels more than 200 miles per hour, shortening a three and a half hour drive to a 90-minute train ride. The route would connect two large and fast-growing population centers, making one stop near local universities in the Brazos Valley.

The Texas Central project has been repeatedly delayed as its backers navigate various regulatory hurdles, including environmental reviews and disputes over property rights. The leadership team at Texas Central resigned in the middle of land acquisition for the process. Texas Central declined multiple requests for comment from CNBC.

The project is expected to cost at least $33.6 billion dollars, according to a March 2023 analysis from the Reason Foundation. Similar high-speed rail projects around the world have faced substantial cost overruns in development. That includes Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen system and California High-Speed Rail, which could someday connect Los Angeles to San Francisco.

The Texas effort has received substantial support from businesses in Texas, Japanese firms and the U.S. government. With a historic $66 billion commitment to passenger rail, the U.S. government under Biden appears to have its best bet in generations to start an authentic high-speed rail system. But the future of publicly subsidized projects, including Texas Central and California High-Speed Rail remain uncertain.

Amtrak told CNBC that if Texas Central passes a financial review, it could be open for passengers as soon as the early 2030s.

Chapters:
0:00 - 1:50 Introduction
1:55 Chapter 1 - Texas Triangle
4:35 Chapter 2 - Landowners
8:55 Chapter 3 - Amtrak partnership
12:02 Chapter 4 - Shinkansen in Texas

Produced, Shot and Edited by: Carlos Waters
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional production by: Liam Mays
Additional Camera by: Katie Brigham, Nathaniel Lee, Magdalena Petrova, Andrew Evers, Ashley Stringer
Animation: Christina Locopo
Additional Footage: Getty Images, KBTX
Additional Sources: Google Maps, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Reason Foundation, Rethink35, Texas State Library Archives, Texas Supreme Court

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Can Amtrak Finally Bring High-Speed Rail To Texas?

[KJVirander]

I’ll never understand why building high speed rail or even light rail is so political. Not everyone wants to depend on a car and not everyone can afford it.

[tubefaze]

"I will continue to fight for Texans." This woman does not in any way shape of form speak for the rest of us. This should have been built DECADES ago. Please bring high speed rail to Texas ASAP.

[aassure]

“It’s gonna cut Madison county and every other county it goes through in half” last time I checked it’s a lot easier to walk across/under a rail line than it is to cross a highway lmao.

[cerka]

That woman shouldn’t say she will continue to fight for Texas. I’m a Texan that has lived in Houston my entire life and I’m for high speed rail.

[emikomina]

eminent domain on 10 lane highways? - no problem, have a good day!
eminent domain on a single high speed rail line? - hell NO, we need to protest this!

[void_skyy]

as a central texan, this is desperately needed. i HATE driving 4 hours from austin to houston/dallas. high-speed rail would be a GAMECHANGER.

[jakemoon]

The "local" Shinkansen is 3.5 hours from Tokyo to Osaka. The express (the most common service) is just under 2.5 hours and costs about $85. No US visitor could ride a Shinkansen and leave thinking we shouldn't have these in America. The best part about it is how easy it is. You don't really even need to check the timetables. You go to the station when you're ready, buy a ticket for the next one (they run every 8-20 minutes), and then you're on your way. You're not even tired when you arrive.

[russ_garcia]

Currently sitting in standstill traffic on I-35 from Austin to San Antonio wishing we had high speed rail.

PLEASE BUILD THIS.

[orlandoracer]

So it's fine to tear down neighborhoods to build highways. But a high speed railway through a farm is an issue?🤨

[OBSMProductions]

The thing that gets me is when we built the interstate system most people's land that was taken had no say, it displaced millions and generates lots of noise and air pollution. An electric train is less land over viaducts and generates way less noise and no air pollution. Having some farmers that own huge acres saying its disruptive successfully blocking it is insane.

[arriagachris]

17 years old. Born and have lived in Texas my whole life. I’ve never been on a train. Ever. I think I’d be cool.

[antonallen]

I am a Houston resident, and I've brought this up with so many people around here who have told me that in an ideal world they would absolutely love to see this built. There are genuinely very little downside to it. They'll literally build it on viaduct just so your cattle can go through, and you still block it because you have some bizarre disgust for the outside world and new technologies? You ask any farmer in Japan what they think about the bullet train, I promise you they will give positive reviews. It connects them to every corner of the country where they can go to find new customers for their product, they can easily go visit family at the blink of an eye, and so much more!

[xpythonxx]

Amazing how much lobbying holds our country back

[deanorr]

I'm a farmer who has a proposed highway planned through our rented land. It's weird for me to see other farmers against rail. If you oppose rail, you'll end up losing far more land to new and wider highways in the future. Not to mention that cars are also far more environmentally damaging and costly.

[camillea]

I've lived in Texas all my life and wish there was a highspeed rail. That lady doesn't speak for us. WE NEED IT.

[TheTruthSeeker]

Recently went to Europe and traveled on high speed rail. It was great. Very smooth. At times up to 186 mph. And then you get to a good sized city and you don’t need a car because they have a metro system that takes you everywhere and the trains run very frequently

[htconexify]

Never understood why US is 50 years behind other developed nations in public transport. Bring this!

[skolarii]

"Berry's family has farmed this land for generations"

shows land covered in weeds and dry patches with no signs of farming*

[tobycueni]

Everyone who doesn't claim to want this, actually NEEDS this.

[ruchpat]

Give Texas a High-speed rail. I’m 100% for this.