Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed rail could move ahead rapidly

A high-speed railway from Fort Worth to Dallas is moving "full steam ahead" and could be ready even before the proposed Dallas-Houston line that got a recent increase with the news that Amtrak is coming on board, officials said.

Proposed in 2017, the Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed rail job would run parallel to Interstate 30 and is led by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. That project will officially enter its environmental stage in September and is expected to be cleared by the federal government by 2024..

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The proposed high-speed rail connection between Dallas and Fort Worth will cater to the metroplex's population of over 8 million, which is anticipated to reach 11 million by 2045.

What we know so far about the Fort-Worth-Dallas high-speed rail connection:

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• The 31-mile line will allow travel in between Fort Worth and Dallas in about 20 minutes.
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• Stops on the line consist of downtown Fort Worth, Arlington's entertainment district and downtown Dallas.
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" We've been going complete steam ahead since 2020," stated Brendon Wheeler, program manager for transportation planning at the Council of Governments. "This current news from Amtrak on the Dallas-Houston line is coming at a perfect time.".

Wheeler stated the environmental approval in 2024 would help the metroplex project reach the Dallas to Houston project.

Amtrak revealed it was aiming to partner with Texas Central on Aug. 9 to more research study and advance a 240-mile, 205 miles per hour route project between Dallas and Houston. Before this announcement, the job had actually experienced a decade of delays.

A crucial to making the Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed project effective is ensuring it is part of a bigger, statewide system-- comparable to the interstate highway system, Wheeler stated.

The Council of Governments is likewise checking out other rail passages, most especially along Interstate 35, linking Fort Worth through San Antonio and all the way down to Laredo.

At this time, no financing or investments have actually been committed to the Fort Worth-Dallas railway, however getting the job environmentally cleared will help alter that, Wheeler stated. By clearing these difficulties in advance, potential partners will be more likely to invest.

" We've spoken with a number of entities that operate high-speed rail around the globe, personal entities that have an interest in funding jobs-- the significant risks that they face pertaining to the U.S. to try and reproduce their success here is they don't know the federal environmental process like we do, and dealing with those threats expenses money to them," Wheeler said.

Funding for the Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed railway will either be fully independently moneyed or be a public-private collaboration.

Wish to share your thoughts on the Fort-Worth-Dallas high-speed rail job? Go to the following public meeting sessions:

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• 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, at the North Central Texas Council of Governments' Pitstick Room (616 Six Flag Drive Arlington, TX).
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• 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, at the Fort Worth Central Station's Community Room (1001 Jones St. Fort Worth, TX)
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• 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the Tony Shotwell Life Center (2750 Graham St., Grand Prairie, TX)
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• 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center (2828 Fishtrap Road, Dallas, TX)
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Once the task is environmentally cleared, the Council of Governments plans to resume conversations with investors about getting dollars set aside for the passage, especially now that the Dallas-Houston project is rolling again. Travel in between Dallas and Houston would take less than 90 minutes.

" It's less of a concern of if and more of when for something like that to take place, specifically as quickly as the state of Texas is growing, as quick as the metros for DFW and Houston are growing. Something's going to happen," Wheeler said.

One benefit the Fort Worth-Dallas project has compared to the Dallas-Houston job is the publicly owned right of way for the railway. Given That the Fort Worth-Dallas passage will be parallel to I-30, there will be a limited need to get private land. In the case of the Dallas-Houston corridor, the need to purchase land to lay tracks slowed down the project by at least 10 years.

When unmatched investment in the country's rail facilities is readily available for grabs, renewed conversation for high-speed rail in Texas comes at a time.

Allan Rutter, head of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's freight and investment analysis division, said Amtrak has many reasons to be thinking about rail transportation in Texas, particularly as more federal dollars are being invested in that transit alternative.

That includes a minimum of $66 million from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for rail.

" It makes sense for them to continue a relationship with Texas Central, and it makes sense for Texas to ask for discretionary grant funding under a few of the $66 billion worth of intercity passenger rail money that remained in the 2021 facilities costs," Rutter stated.

Jason Abrams, senior public relations manager for Amtrak, said in an e-mail that the business supports the state's federal grant applications for high-speed rail along the Texas Triangle, connecting Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.

Investing in high-speed rail will assist the region prosper, stated Rick Harnish, executive director of the High-Speed Rail Alliance. He applauded the Council of Governments for its advanced work in getting the necessary clearance for an extension of a high-speed railway connecting Fort Worth to the Dallas-Houston line.

" If the state was interested in bring individuals by train, (the Dallas-Houston line and Dallas-Fort Worth line) would be one task," Harnish said. "It truly is a crucial piece of making Texas interact much better, and it makes the Dallas to Houston job much better, far more valuable.".

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker applauded the collaboration in between Amtrak and Texas Central and encouraged high-speed rail along I-30.

" With the cooperation of our North Texas neighbors, as well as the North Central Texas Council of Governments and our federal and private-sector partners, high-speed rail can be more than just a vision. It can end up being truth," Parker said in a news release.

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross described the innovation as complementary and transformative to the currently existing transportation network.

" Adding high-speed rail as a choice for people to get to Arlington, whether they live or work here or are visiting our first-rate Entertainment District, would be revolutionary," Ross stated in a press release.

While the Dallas to Houston and Dallas to Fort Worth lines are still years away, Harnish said, it's now up to the state to come up with a rail strategy to link all the major metropolitan areas in Texas.

The goal is to have the Fort Worth-Dallas and Dallas-Houston lines be "one seat," which means there are no transfers between each stop.

" That's something the state requires to reveal management on," Harnish stated. "And the reality that the state has not in any way since doing the initial planning of a high-speed line from Fort Worth to San Antonio, they 'd been out of the video game. Which's a real disappointment for the people who live in Texas.".

Business editor Bob Francis contributed to this post.

Sandra Sadek is a Report for America corps member, covering growth for the Fort Worth Report. You can call her at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter at @ssadek19.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made separately of our board members and financial fans. Learn more about our editorial independence policy here.

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The Fort Worth Report keeps the copyright for all of its published material. If you have any other questions, contact Managing Editor Thomas Martinez.Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed rail could continue rapidly.
by Sandra Sadek, Fort Worth Report.
August 18, 2023.

<< h1>> Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed rail could continue rapidly<.
<< p class="" byline" > by Sandra Sadek, Fort Worth Report << br/>> August 18, 2023<.

<< p>> A high-speed railway from Fort Worth to Dallas is moving "full steam ahead" and might be all set even before the proposed Dallas-Houston line that received<< a href=" https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/amtrak-texas-central-high-speed-rail-dallas-houston/690488/"> > a current increase with the news< that Amtrak is coming on board, officials said.&& nbsp;. < p > < a href=" https://www.nctcog.org/getmedia/a1e6fb29-b7da-431a-8482-695882e9dfb6/2017-06-FINAL-DFWCES-AA-Report.pdf" > First proposed in 2017 , the Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed rail project would run parallel to Interstate 30>and is spearheaded by the < a href =" https://nctcog.org/" > North Central Texas Council of Governments. That task will formally get in < a href=">https://fortworthreport.org/2022/12/12/dallas-fort-worth-high-speed-rail-project-begins-environmental-study/" > its environmental phase in September and is anticipated to be cleared by the federal government by 2024.. < p > The proposed high-speed rail connection in between Dallas and Fort Worth will cater to the metroplex's population of over
<8>million, which is anticipated to reach 11 million by 2045. & nbsp;. < div class=" wp-block-group alignleft has-light-gray-background-color has-background ">. < h3 class =" wp-block-heading "> What we understand up until now about the>Fort-Worth-Dallas high-speed rail connection:. < ul >. < li > The 31-mile line will allow travel between Fort Worth and Dallas in about 20 minutes. & nbsp;. < li > Stops on the line include downtown Fort Worth, Arlington's entertainment district and downtown Dallas. & nbsp;. . < p >" We've been going full steam ahead considering that 2020, "said Brendon Wheeler,&program manager for
Amtrak on the Dallas-Houston line is coming
Wheeler said the ecological approval in 2024 would assist the metroplex project catch up to the Dallas to Houston project. & nbsp;. < p > Amtrak announced it was seeking to partner with < a href=">https://www.texascentral.com/" > Texas Central on Aug. 9 to further study and advance a 240-mile<,>205 mph path job in between Dallas and Houston. Before this statement, the job had actually struggled with a years of delays.&.
<< p>> An essential to making the Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed task successful is guaranteeing it belongs to a bigger,>statewide system-- comparable to the interstate highway system, Wheeler stated.. < p > The Council of Governments is also checking out other rail corridors, most especially along Interstate 35, connecting < a href=" https://www.nctcog.org/trans/plan/transit-management-and-planning/general-public-information/transit-planning-activities/transit-planning-projects/high-speed-rail/fw-to-laredo-high-speed-transportation-stu" > Fort At this time, no financing or financial investments have actually been dedicated to the Fort Worth-Dallas rail line, but getting the project ecologically cleared will help alter that, Wheeler stated. By clearing these difficulties upfront, potential partners will be most likely to invest.. < p >">We've spoken with several entities that run high-speed rail all over the world,&personal entities that are>thinking about funding jobs-- the major threats that they deal with coming to the U.S. to attempt and replicate their success here is they don't understand the federal environmental procedure like we do, and dealing with those threats costs money to them, "Wheeler said.. < p > Funding for the Fort Worth-Dallas high-speed rail
. < h3 class =" wp-block-heading "> Want to share your ideas on the Fort-Worth-Dallas high-speed rail task? Go to the following public meeting sessions:. < ul >. < li > 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, at the North Central Texas Council of Governments' Pitstick Room( 616 Six Flag Drive Arlington, TX).. < li > 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, at the Fort Worth Central Station's Community Room( 1001 Jones St. Fort Worth, TX). < li > 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the Tony Shotwell Life Center(>2750 Graham St., Grand Prairie, TX). < li > 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center( 2828 Fishtrap Road, Dallas, TX ).. < p > Once the" It's less of a concern of if and more of when for something like that to occur, particularly>as
<>.
<. < p > One advantage the Fort Worth-Dallas project has compared to the Dallas-Houston job is the publicly owned right-of-way for the railway. Because the Fort Worth-Dallas corridor will be parallel to I-30, there will be a limited need to get personal land. In the case of the Dallas-Houston passage, the requirement to acquire land to lay tracks < a href=" https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/30/texas-high-speed-rail-dallas-houston/" > decreased the task by at least 10 years. & nbsp;. < p > Renewed conversation for high-speed rail in Texas comes at a time when unprecedented financial investment in the nation's rail infrastructure is available for grabs. & nbsp;. < p > < a href=" https://tti.tamu.edu/people/resume/?id=5927&_gl=1*5qzqip*_ga*NDgwMTU0NDA5LjE2OTAyOTU1Mjk.*_ga_SJ5GMN0ZQL*MTY5MjIwNTQ4NS4zLjAuMTY5MjIwNTQ4NS42MC4wLjA.*_ga_3LYM4WJM04*MTY5MjIwNTQ4NS4xLjEuMTY5MjIwNTUwMi40My4wLjA.&_ga=2.202835089.1646455466.1692127195-480154409.1690295529 "> Allan Rutter , head of the < a href=" https://tti.tamu.edu/" > Texas A & amp; M Transportation Institute 's freight and financial investment analysis department, said Amtrak has many factors to be interested&in rail transport in>Texas, especially as more federal dollars are being invested in that transit option. & nbsp;. < p > That consists of at least $66 million from the < a href=" https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/06/fact-sheet-the-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal/" > 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for rail.. < p >" It makes sense for them to continue a relationship with Texas Central, and it makes sense for Texas to request discretionary grant funding under a few of the$ 66 billion worth of intercity traveler rail cash that was in the 2021 facilities costs," Rutter stated. & nbsp;. < p > Jason Abrams, senior Investing in high-speed rail will assist the High-Speed Rail Alliance. He applauded the Council of Governments for its sophisticated>work in getting the required clearance for an extension of a high-speed rail line connecting Fort Worth to the Dallas-Houston line. & nbsp;. < p >" If the state had an interest in carrying individuals by train,( the Dallas-Houston line and Dallas-Fort Worth line )would be one project," Harnish stated." It actually is a crucial
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker praised the collaboration between Amtrak and Texas Central and motivated high-speed rail along I-30. & nbsp;. < p >"
news release .&.
<< p>> Arlington Mayor Jim Ross described the technology as complementary and transformative to the already existing transport network. & nbsp;. < p >" Adding high-speed rail as an option for individuals to get to Arlington, whether they live or work here or are visiting our first-rate Entertainment District, would be innovative<,">Ross said in a press release. & nbsp;. < p > While the Dallas to Houston and Dallas to Fort Worth lines are still years away, Harnish stated, it's now up to the state>to The goal is to have the Fort Worth-Dallas and Dallas-Houston lines be" one seat," which indicates there are no transfers in between each stop. & nbsp;. < p >" That's something < em > Business editor Bob Francis added to this post.
<& nbsp;. < p > < em > Sandra Sadek is a Report for America corps member, covering development for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter at < a href =" https://twitter.com/ssadek19<">> < em > @ssadek19 < em >. & nbsp;. < p > < em > At the Fort Worth Report, news choices are made independently of our board members and monetary supporters. Find out more about our editorial self-reliance policy& < a href<=>" https://fortworthreport.org/about/fort-worth-report-editorial-independence-policy/" > < em > here < em >. .&This < a<>
<" _ blank "href=" https://fortworthreport.org/2023/08/18/fort-worth-dallas-high-speed-rail-could-move-ahead-rapidly/">article very first appeared on < a target=" _ blank" href =" https://fortworthreport.org">Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license<.
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