For two decades, Amtrak’s Acela service from Washington D.C. to Boston via New York City has been the only high-speed rail in the United States. While there are several independent projects to establish new lines, the federally-owned railroad corporation seems set on accelerating expansion itself in Texas.
Amtrak is exploring a potential partnership with Texas Central, a private venture aiming to build a high-speed rail line between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Texas Central currently plans to operate Japanese N700S Series Shinkansen trainsets, capable of reaching speeds over 200 miles per hour. The travel time along the proposed 240-mile route would be less than 90 minutes.
The partnership between Amtrak and Texas Central would bid for federal grant funding. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law budgeted $22 billion for Amtrak and set aside $36 billion for competitive grants. The announced bid would have grants fund analysis and planning for the project.
Andy Byford, Amtrak’s Senior Vice President of High-Speed Rail Development Programs, said in a release:
“If we are going to add more high-speed rail to this country, the Dallas to Houston Corridor is a compelling proposition and offers great potential. We believe many of the country’s biggest and fastest-growing metropolitan areas, like Houston and Dallas, deserve more high quality high-speed, intercity rail service and we are proud to bring our experience to evaluate this potential project and explore opportunities with Texas Central so the state can meet its full transportation needs.”
Byford joined Amtrak earlier this year to identify regions in the United States where high-speed rail projects could be successful. The British executive previously ran the MTA in New York City before he was pushed out of the position by former Governor Andrew Cuomo.