Amtrak partnering with private company to study and advance Dallas-Houston bullet train

Amtrak is exploring a partnership with private development company Texas Central Partners to study and advance a potential bullet train from Dallas to Houston that has stalled for years.

The national U.S. railroad company made the announcement Wednesday in a news release. It said it has cooperated with Texas Central, the company behind the stalled project, on various initiatives since 2016.

The plan has been in development for about a decade, and it was left uncertain as Texas Central battled with tax troubles and the resignation of its CEO. Last year, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Texas Central, as a “interurban electric railway company,” could use eminent domain to acquire land for the bullet train.

The private company, based in Houston, had a longstanding dispute with Texans Against High-Speed Rail, a group concerned with Texas Central’s possible use of eminent domain. Texans Against High-Speed Rail urged people in a Facebook post Wednesday to call their state and local representatives, members of Congress and neighbors to “let them know the HSR (high-speed rail) is being brought back from the dead by Amtrak of all entities.”

The proposed route for the train stretches over 240 miles and would offer a total travel time of less than 90 minutes, according to Amtrak. It aims to replicate the Japanese Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train system.

Michael Bui, CEO for Texas Central, said in a statement that the company believes Amtrak could be the perfect partner on the project.

The railroad company claims the plan is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 100,000 tons per year, and its construction and operations would bring “significant economic benefits to the region, including thousands of well-paying construction jobs and nearly one thousand long-term, skilled operations and maintenance positions.”

Amtrak and Texas Central have submitted applications for federal grants to do further study and design work for the train, the news release said. Those include: the consolidated rail infrastructure safety and improvements grant program; the corridor identification and development program; and the federal-state partnership for intercity passenger rail grant program. Funding for at least one of these grants was included in the bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a written statement accompanying the release that endeavors like the bullet train “will propel Dallas toward an even more prosperous future.

“A high-speed rail line would revolutionize transportation in our region, serve as a catalyst for economic growth, and enhance connectivity among Texas residents and businesses,” Johnson said.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner echoed a similar sentiment, calling the collaboration between Amtrak and Texas Central “an important milestone for the City of Houston and this project.” He added that the partnership will accelerate the planning and analysis necessary for the “successful implementation” of the rail system between the two cities.

State lawmakers proposed a series of bills in the Texas House to create more financial transparency related to the project and ensure there are no environmental impacts related to the construction. One bill in the House aimed at ensuring a private company may not use eminent domain for a high-speed rail project.

Only one of the four bills was voted out of committee, and none passed the House.