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Austin, TX

Passenger train service connecting San Antonio to Austin?

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Passenger train service connecting San Antonio to Austin?


A newly formed group is trying to revive a plan to bring passenger train service to the I-35 corridor in Central Texas. 

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According to the RESTART Lone Star Rail District, a rep for the Union Pacific Freight rail company says it is open to consider new proposals for new passenger rail service connecting San Antonio and Austin. 

Below is the transcript of FOX 7 Austin’s John Krinjak’s interview with RESTART Lone Star Rail District’s Clay Anderson.

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CLAY ANDERSON: Yeah, thanks so much for having me. 

JOHN KRINJAK: So talk to us a little bit about how we got here under. Understand, there was a long-standing proposal to build passenger train service between Georgetown and San Antonio that eventually got killed in 2016. What’s behind the effort to try and bring that back, and what led us to where we are now?

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CLAY ANDERSON: Well, there are a lot of reasons why the Lone Star Rail District ended up being a failure. What really put the nail in the coffin? It was that in 2016, the Union Pacific Company, which owns the existing freight rail line between Austin and San Antonio, pulled out of the deal with Lone Star Rail District. But we are saying that we should restart the process of planning for the passenger rail between the two cities. J

JOHN KRINJAK: And why do you feel this is so important? Obviously, we have Amtrak that runs, you know, I think one train a day from Taylor to Austin to San Antonio. How would this be different? Would it be kind of like a commuter rail?

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CLAY ANDERSON: Yeah. So I like to see regional rail instead of commuter rail. So a regional rail basically is the same thing as commuter rail, given that it stops in smaller population centers instead of just downtowns like Amtrak does. So that’s really the big distinction. We’re proposing a lot of stations throughout the metro areas of both San Antonio and Austin. So this would be a train that would get you far distances, both within Austin or San Antonio or from Austin to San Antonio, across the region. 

JOHN KRINJAK: And I understand San Marcos and New Braunfels will be two important stops in between. Yes.

CLAY ANDERSON: Kyle and Buda as well, Round Rock and Georgetown.

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JOHN KRINJAK: So we’ve all seen traffic on I-35, especially between Austin and San Antonio. You point to some research that shows a train like this would really help alleviate that congestion. Talk to us about what that research shows. 

CLAY ANDERSON: Yeah, So I found this independent researcher who wrote their master’s thesis about rail between city pairs and the state of Texas. His research actually found that San Antonio in Austin would have the highest ridership out of any city pair in the state. So he estimated that around 4 million people would ride the train each year, and that would cause a 20% reduction in traffic on I-35. So I really want to be clear and that even if you don’t use the train when it gets built, that it will benefit you if you’re just driving on I-35 with the reduction in traffic. 

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JOHN KRINJAK: And talk about the work that your group is doing now. I understand there’s a lot of there’s a lot of questions as to how this could actually move forward. What are you doing now to kind of take that next step?

CLAY ANDERSON: Yeah, right now we’re a coalition building, so we are building a group of other advocacy groups that support sustainability, transportation. We are trying to show that we have a unified voice in central Texas for regional passenger rail.

JOHN KRINJAK: All right, Clay Anderson from the Restart Lone Star Rail District. Thanks for being here. 

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CLAY ANDERSON: Thank you so much. Thanks.



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Austin, TX

Texas hiker dies on trail at Grand Canyon National Park; officials warn of extreme heat

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Texas hiker dies on trail at Grand Canyon National Park; officials warn of extreme heat


A hiker collapsed and died on a trail in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona over the weekend, prompting parks officials to warn about the dangers of hiking in extreme heat.

Scott Sims, 69, of Austin, Texas, was attempting to reach Phantom Ranch via the South Kaibab Trail for an overnight stay when he was found semi-conscious around 7 p.m. Saturday, the National Parks Service (NPS) said in a statement on Monday.

Sims became unresponsive a short time later, and bystanders performed CPR until three NPS paramedics arrived, parks officials said. All attempts to resuscitate Sims were unsuccessful.

Sims collapsed on the River Trail, about halfway between the Silver Bridge and Black Bridge near Phantom Ranch, according to the NPS. Temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach 120 degrees in the shade, the agency said.

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HIKER LOST FOR 10 DAYS FOUND ALIVE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MOUNTAINS

Scott Sims was found semi-conscious on the River Trail at Grand Canyon National Park on Saturday. He became unresponsive a short time later. (National Park Service, File)

“Park rangers strongly advise not hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.,” NPS said. 

South Kaibab Trail

Temperatures on the trail can reach 120 degrees in the shade, NPS said. (Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images, File)

Officials said that its efforts to help hikers during the summer months may be delayed due to limited staff, an increased number of rescue calls, safety requirements for staff and helicopter usage being limited in extreme heat or periods of inclement weather.

COUPLE MISSING IN UTAH MAY HAVE BEEN SWEPT AWAY IN FLASH FLOOD WHILE EXPLORING TRAIL ON UTV

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NPS and the Coconino Medical Examiner are investigating the death. No cause of death was immediately provided. 

South Kaibab Trail

No cause of death was immediately provided. (Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images, File)

The death comes after a Salt Lake City fire captain died in a rafting accident at Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado.

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An NPS review of deaths in national parks between 2014 and 2019 found that hiking was the second-deadliest recreational activity behind driving, while drowning caused the second-highest number of unintentional deaths after motor vehicle crashes.



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Austin, TX

Victim found dead in South Austin; APD investigating

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Victim found dead in South Austin; APD investigating


The Austin Police Department is investigating after a person was found dead in South Austin.

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Austin police said on Monday, July 1, around 5:30 p.m., officers were called to investigate a homicide at an apartment complex in the 6700 block of Windrift Way.

When officers arrived, they found a victim who had penetrating injuries. The victim was pronounced dead on scene.

A person of interest and witnesses are being interviewed by detectives.

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Police said this is believed to be an isolated incident.

This is a developing story, refresh for the latest updates



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Austin, TX

Michael Corcoran, longtime Austin music journalist and historian, has died. He was 68.

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Michael Corcoran, longtime Austin music journalist and historian, has died. He was 68.


Michael Corcoran, prominent Austin music journalist and historian, has died. He was 68.

Family members confirmed Monday afternoon that he was found deceased in his Buda residence.

Corcoran, who wrote in a sometimes gruff, inimitable manner for the American-Statesman, Austin Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Spin, National Lampoon and other publications, spent the past years as a serious historian, publishing books about sometimes unsung Texas music and musicians.

“The most important thing to remember about Corcoran was that he wrote for the National Lampoon,” said Pat Beach, who worked alongside Corcoran at the Statesman after 1997. “He later described himself as a ‘roast critic.’ He also said he regretted some of those barbs. Obviously he had issues. He didn’t take care of himself. But he became this incredible scholar of Texas music.”

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Among his highly praised books were “Ghost Notes: Pioneering Spirts of Texas Music” and “All Over the Map: “True Heroes of Texas Music.” His most recent work was published on “Michael Corcoran’s Overserved” on Substack.

Corcoran grew up in a military family in Hawaii, exposed to an incredibly diverse set of musical traditions. He seemed about to cut through the performative pretensions of pop culture to find the authentic core of a musician’s artistry.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for more details.



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