AUSTIN (KXAN) — Amtrak is soliciting a partner to help bring high-speed rail to the Lone Star State.
Amtrak procurement documents published this week revealed the national passenger railroad company is releasing a request for qualifications (RFQ) to prospective firms for the Dallas to Houston High-Speed Rail Project.
That project marks a 240-mile endeavor poised to linking the two metropolitan areas within 90 minutes. The trains are expected to travel up to 205 miles per hour, and an intermediate stop in Brazos Valley is planned as part of the project proposal, according to Amtrak RFQ details.
“Amtrak is working to confirm the viability of the concept of a dedicated high-speed rail route between Dallas and Houston,” a spokesperson told KXAN. “As part of these efforts, we are seeking to identify the interest of potential partners through responses to this Request for Qualifications process.”
The selected delivery partner will assist in managing the program, design work, construction, quality management and procurements, among other responsibilities noted in the RFQ.
High-speed rail is a transportation area that has captured a growing number of Texas officials’ interest in recent years. State Rep. John Bucy III, D-Austin, filed House Bill 483 back in November that, if passed, would allocate state funding to support the development of high-speed rail linking Dallas, Austin and San Antonio along the Interstate 35 corridor.
Bucy told KXAN in November ample mobility choices in Central Texas will help bolster the region and state’s economy while also minimizing congestion and gridlock. State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, filed an accompanying bill in the Texas Senate on Nov. 21.
Texans and those visiting our great state deserve robust options for travel and commuting. The IH-35 corridor is a major hub for work and recreation, and it only makes sense that high speed rail is an option for this corridor.
You could live and work in Dallas, go to a meeting in Austin, have dinner in San Antonio, and be home in time to put your kids to bed. All of that without having to sit in heavy traffic or go through airport security.
It’s time for Texas to lead once more on infrastructure, including on transit. Making Texas as good as its promise must include extensive and modern transit systems.
State Rep. John Bucy III (D-Austin)
Earlier in the fall, Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai announced the creation of the Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee, with the goal of advocating for expanded rail funding in the 2025 Texas legislative session. Both Brown and Sakai championed the alternative transit mode as a means of bridging the San Antonio and Austin metro areas, minimizing congestion and traffic-related pollution and promoting economic opportunities within the transit corridor.
That isn’t to say there hasn’t been some pushback from state leaders. Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, filed HB 1402 on Nov. 19, which, if passed, would prohibit allocating funds “to pay for the alteration of a roadway related to the construction of a high-speed rail project operated by a public or private entity.”
