A ongoing project to develop and build America’s first true high-speed rail system has taken another important step towards starting construction with the addition of a prominent train operations company signing on with project developer Texas Central.
The rail line connecting Houston and Dallas will be serviced by a Bullet Train that travels at 200 mph, 50 miles per hour quicker than the fastest high-speed train currently in service in the U.S.
The Shinkansen Comes To America
The Japanese Tokaido Shinkansen or Bullet Train is one of the fastest and safest railway systems in the world and it’s about to connect with the Houston area.
The high-speed line being developed by Texas Central is based on the core system designed and built by Central Japan Railway.
Bullet trains have been in use successfully in Japan to connect major economic centers, making transport faster, more convenient, and increasingly cost-effective.
Connecting Two Major Economic Centers
Spanning 240 miles between Houston and Dallas, the projected high-speed train line is expected to cut the four-plus hour drive between the two cities into a convenient 90-minute ride.
There will be only one stop on the line in the Brazos Valley, approximately 25 miles close to College Station Texas, home of Texas A&M University.
The $15 billion project to connect ;the fourth and fifth largest U.S. economies is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs per year during construction, 1500 permanent jobs once complete, and generate $36 billion in statewide income with $3 billion in local and state tax revenue.
An Impressive Project Getting Closer to Kickoff
Though the initial projected start to construction was pushed back, Texas Central has taken the next critical step in bringing the project to life with the signing of a $5.9 billion deal with Madrid-based Renfe Operadora, a well-known railway developer, to design, build, and maintain the system.
This comes on the heels of last fall’s agreements with world-renowned Italian company Salini Impregilo and its subsidiary Lane Construction Corporation in the United States which will handle both infrastructure and civil engineering for the project.
With all of this underway, it is now estimated that construction will begin sometime in 2020 with a railway completion and operational date in 2026.
High-Speed Rail System Will Soon Be A Reality
Working with the experience provided by Mass. Electric that has completed more than $4 billion in U.S. transportation projects including the DART Green line in Dallas, developer Texas Central is optimistic that the project will get underway in the coming year.
Backed entirely by private investors, Texas Central has faced its share of nay-sayers against the idea; however, the positive response has been greater.
As planning continues and the company gains more ground for starting work on the infrastructure this year, business travelers in both cities are excited.
It’s looking like the Texas high-speed bullet train line to facilitate travel between Houston and Dallas will become a reality very soon!