Texas shinkansen may not operate until early 2030s, Amtrak says

A planned high-speed railway service in Texas, using Japan’s shinkansen bullet train technology, likely will not be completed until at least the early 2030s, a senior executive of U.S. railway operator Amtrak said recently.

“I do not see the line opening before the early 2030s…But certainly, the early 2030s is still possible,” said Andy Byford, senior vice president of the U.S. national passenger rail company, which supports the project led by local railway firm Texas Central Partners LLC, in an interview with Kyodo News in mid-May.

Most recently slated for completion in 2026, the project is receiving technical support from Japanese shinkansen operator Central Japan Railway Co. If it goes ahead, the railway will connect Dallas and Houston, two major Texas cities approximately 380 kilometers apart, in about 90 minutes, but planning has been repeatedly delayed due to financing concerns, among other reasons.

In the interview conducted at Amtrak’s headquarters in Washington, Byford stressed the need to secure funding from the private and public sectors to cover the projected cost, which is estimated to total more than $30 billion.

“I don’t see this project being able to go forward without federal, private and overseas investment,” said the executive in charge of the high-speed rail development program.

Byford said he is “hopeful” the federal government, currently led by President Joe Biden who supports trains as an effective low-carbon-emission transport option, will offer financial support, adding that he may be able to gain additional support from the governments of Dallas and Houston in the future.

He admitted the upcoming presidential election in November introduces some uncertainty, but he hoped having a strong business case “appeals to politicians of any stripe.”

Photo shows an N700S shinkansen bullet train in motion in Tokyo on May 28, 2024.(Kyodo)

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The trains, to be made based on the N700S shinkansen that currently connects Tokyo and Osaka, among other cities, are slated to be manufactured by a Japanese company, the executive said without naming the firm.

With shinkansen train car maker Hitachi Ltd. also providing technical support, Byford said they and other related Japanese companies have “a stellar reliability and safety record,” and Amtrak will work with its partners to ensure that the Texas trains perform at the same level as those in Japan.

While the plan is to initially use rolling stock built in Japan, the executive said “it would be our intention” to eventually create jobs by bringing manufacturing to the United States.

The new railway service will utilize Amtrak’s ticketing and reservation system, and users will be able to purchase tickets through the Amtrak app, Byford said.

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