Amtrak is now driving Dallas to Houston bullet train proposal

An Amtrak leader says they're in the engineer's seat for the proposal to build a high-speed train between Dallas and Houston. The proposed route makes one of the best cases for the technology train advocates argue.

After a presentation at the Southwestern Rail Conference in Hurst, the man overseeing high speed rail for Amtrak told reporters they've come to a non-binding agreement with Texas Central, the company pushing the idea before the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Andy Byford, details of the agreement between Amtrak and Texas Central are subject to a non-disclosure agreement but much of the work previously done has been helpful for planners. Amtrak staff is now doing intense due diligence over where the project stands and the next steps. The transition includes working through federal environmental approval, the sign-off for the Japanese technology behind the bullet train, and a court decision giving the project eminent domain authority.

Many significant hurdles remain for the idea but Byford said he's optimistic about what he's seen so far. Amtrak joined the project with Texas Central in 2023 and submitted it to the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor ID program. That program acts like a pipeline of projects to get priority funding. Tuesday, the Amtrak leader gave a full-throated endorsement of the project, arguing it's the next best route in the country for high-speed rail.

"I think the alternative is to condemn Americans to ever more crowded interstates; to condemn taxpayers to ever widening of highways," said Byford.

The Southwestern Rail Conference gathered rail advocates across the state to hear Byford's presentation along with a speech by Amit Bose, the Federal Railroad Administrator, and other advocates and train operators. With a train-friendly Biden Administration in Washington and a huge influx in new transportation money coming from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021, rail advocates say the time is now to get major projects off the ground.

Byford argues that the Dallas-to-Houston route has the right geography, the right population size, and the right distance apart for a high-speed train to thrive. He told the crowd that if the project is successful, it may be a reality by the early 2030s. The largest hurdles remain to cobble together money for the project and win over skeptics in the Texas legislature and landowners between the two cities.

“My watchword is transparency. I don’t believe you can please everyone. I don’t think the interstates would have been built if you tried to please absolutely everyone. I think sometimes what you’re aiming to do is at least hear people out, hear their point of view," said Byford.

Amtrak estimates the project may be north of $30 billion and over the next eighteen months Byford said he will be putting together a public and private funding package "the likes of which has not been seen before."

Support from D.C.

Amtrak taking over the project gave the idea a shot in the arm. Amtrak's board is appointed by the President of the United States. The Biden Administration recently threw its support behind the Dallas to Houston rail project.

"We believe in this. Obviously, it has to turn into a more specific design and vision but everything I've seen makes me very excited about this," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Lone Star Politics, NBC 5's Sunday morning public affairs show.

Last week, President Biden and the Prime Minister of Japan released a fact sheet detailing their support for the project after their state dinner.

"The successful completion of development efforts and other requirements would position the project for potential future funding and financing opportunities," staff for the two leaders wrote.

Amtrak is currently working on a Service Development Plan to then pitch the project to the Federal Railroad Administration for priority funding. Recently, a train between Los Angeles to San Francisco and another form Las Vegas to Los Angeles just received $3 billion each in federal funds.

Challenges remain

A coalition of landowners opposes the plan because the route is slated to go through their property. Texans Against High-Speed Rail president Trey Duhon spoke with NBC 5. Duhon has also served as the Waller County Judge for the past decade.

Texans Against High Speed Rail recently filed a complaint with the Department of Justice, claiming the company was working as a foreign agent. It is unclear what will become of the complaint if Texas Central steps away from the project. Texas Central's board disbanded, and its CEO resigned. NBC 5 requested an interview with the company's leaders but has not yet heard back.

Duhon said just the planning for this project has led to negative consequences for landowners along the route.

“People forget, we’ve got thousands of landowners along the route. This has now been hanging over their head for ten years. Once that line goes on a map, you’re hosed," said Duhon.

Around thirty percent of the land is already acquired for the project.

Duhon said Amtrak taking over the project does change things because decisions will now be made in Washington, D.C., and funding becomes less of an issue.

"It becomes hogs at the trough, and they’re all just trying to get their piece of this infrastructure money," said Duhon.

Several years ago the Texas legislature rejected the idea of using any state money to build high-speed rail. Leaders in the Texas legislature have been relatively quiet recently on the idea. Texas Central had problems getting enough support for the plan in its many years of advocating for the program.

“Are the feds going to fund this thing because nobody else is coming to the rescue," said Duhon.

Byford aims to get the project far enough along so leaders in Texas make a decision: do they want high-speed rail or not?

"Ultimately, if we can’t make the case, or we can’t raise the money, or if people really don’t want it, then there are plenty of other viable city pairings," he said.