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The planned route for Texas Central Railway’s high-speed train between Houston and Dallas would only bring the train as far as the 610 Loop.
But the Gulf Coast Rail District says to make the system viable the train needs to come into downtown, or there has to be some sort of commuter rail option that would link downtown with the high-speed line.
The Rail District now wants to study the possibility of a rail line along the I-10 corridor that would get passengers close to the downtown Amtrak station.
Gulf Coast Rail District Executive Director Maureen Crocker says a train could possibly run on the median or along the embankments. Crocker adds if the high-speed rail line doesn’t have an easy connection into downtown it could cause problems for everyone.
“It’s going to put a lot of pressure on the roadway network right at 610 and I-10, which is already one of the most congested parts of this region,” says Crocker.
Texas Central Railway hopes to have its high-speed trains in operation by 2021.
