Dead Mall to Become New Texas Bullet Train Station

Opened in 1968 in what was then the outskirts of Houston, Northwest Mall has declined over the decades with the interior of the mall closing in 2017. It is now the preferred location for Texas Central's planned Houston-Dallas bullet train. Despite current setbacks, the company is still targeting a 2026 commercial service start date.
■ Houston Historic Retail:
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NW Mall article: houstonhistori...
YT Channel: / @houstonhistoricretail
■ Sources | Further Reading:
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dallasfreeways....
■ Topics Covered:
Trains, retail, dead malls, dead mall, houston, texas, retail history, abandoned, deadmall, abandonedplaces, infrastructure, high-speed rail, bullet train, train, union pacific, freeway era, houston freeways, texas freeway, freeway history, northwest mall, houston galleria

[@JackBmann]

As a frequent driver of I-45, I've been crossing my fingers for years that someone can make this happen. Houston and Dallas are two of the biggest and fastest growing cities in the country and all that traffic is forced onto a busy two-lane highway (we're getting closer to 3+ lanes the whole way though!). This is the perfect testbed for a high-speed rail line.

[@johnfrank6112]

What I can't understand is why not transport vehicles. The London to the continent Chunnel system has successfully done it for years. Moving vehicles accomplishes the same purpose, which is removing traffic from I-45.

[@crashcast_e6339]

@@johnfrank6112 The Chunnel and a high speed rail corridor are surrounded by very different circumstances. The reason the Chunnel has a car shuttle is because it's a vital link across the channel; the only other way to cross the channel with your car is by ferry. There's to car tunnel or bridge. To make a train that transport cars across such a short corridor is extremely counter-intuitive. Cars take up tons of space, the loading and unloading process takes much more time, and it would greatly reduce the speed of the trains along the line. Besides, Americans as a whole need to get used to abandoning their cars in favor of more environmentally-friendly transportation.

[@johnfrank6112]

@@crashcast_e6339 The distance from Folkstone to Calais is roughly 40 miles. In 2020, 1.5 million trucks used the Chunnel shuttle service. At 60 million truck miles divided by 7 miles per gallon, 8.6 million gallons of fuel were saved. The distance from Houston to Dallas is roughly 200 miles. In 2019, commercial truck only traffic, between Houston and Dallas, was estimated at 31 million trips. 31 million trips multiplied by 200 miles equals 6.2 billion miles divided by 7 miles per gallon equals 887 million gallons of diesel used. If the Chunnel shuttle service is deemed environmentally friendly, for saving 8.6 million gallons of fuel, than a shuttle service between Houston and Dallas, that potentially saves 100X as much fuel, should be considered a couple of levels higher, on the environmentally friendly scale.

[@crashcast_e6339]

@@johnfrank6112 You've missed quite a few points there, but if you're just talking in regards to truck traffic, there's a very simple solution that already exists (and may already be in service) that isn't comparable to HSR. What you're suggesting is essentially a trailer-on-flatcar train, or an intermodal train. I'm not sure if Union Pacific operates a service between the two cities, but one could very easily be started up. It'd save fuel on the truck's end while also permitting passengers to take a high speed service connecting cities. However, under no circumstances should a TOFC service be seen as a alternate to HSR, as they simply aren't comparable. Now, if you want to push an auto-train idea, that'd be ruled out on the sheer basis that the loading and unloading time would easily end up greater than the time it takes to drive between the two cities, rendering such a service useless. Again, Americans need to learn to start abandoning their cars in favor of public transit; we can't keep designing infrastructure based around automotive traffic and we can't keep taking our cars everywhere. It's not environmentally or economically sustainable.

[@johnfrank6112]

@@crashcast_e6339 You've never driven a truck have you? I did for 20 years and I spent a hell of a lot of time running I45 between Houston and Dallas. Yes, there already is a monstrous intermodal operation. I usually got stopped by it, at the New Waverly, Tx, crossing. If the intermodal concept is so great than why doesn't Le Shuttle use that method instead of the roll on roll off method currently employed? If the loading and unloading time is such a deal breaker, for a transit run of 200 miles, than why does Le Shuttle not consider it a deal breaker for its run of only 35 miles? If roll on roll off passenger vehicle shuttle service is so environmentally damaging and non profitable, why does Le Shuttle offer the service multiple times per hour and 24/7?

[@mharrisona5526]

I hope it happens. Not until I began traveling Europe did I realize how great it would be to have at least some rail options to effectively and economically get around the country and stop being unavoidable tied to the airlines.

[@stefanmaier1853]

As a European what irks me the wrong way is that building a Railstation 5 miles outside a city center does not make much sense. The reason it works in Europe is that these High Speed Stations tend to be right in the city center, connected to a number of local public transportation networks. There are a few stations that connect to an airport but the main selling point of high speed rail is that you travel city center to city center, so you do not have to deal with getting to and from airports. Then again the whole structure of cities in the US is different with many people living in suburban sprawl - that generally might be a problematic factor for the viability of rail networks like they can be found in Europe.

[@BAgodmode]

Dude the high speed rail travel in France? Considering the distance, the what, 40 euros to go 1000KM in less than 3 hours and 30 minutes? Who could say no that?

[@t.texastimmy1022]

Just how fast do you think the "high speed" might be in - the 200 miles between Houston and Dallas? The high speed trains running in Italy stay under 200MPH most of the time there.

[@Golgi-Gyges]

😂

[@Rager_U]

I've been thinking for a while about how great it would be to repurpose dying malls all over the country in this fashion, particularly since many of the biggest stations in Europe tend to look like shopping malls that happen to have train platforms below ground (or past a certain point under a train shed). I do think that the train needs to go downtown, even if the last part of the trip is low speed to a smaller station. Of course, this one would likely also be awash with rental car desks because, let's face it, it's Houston.

[@ericdunn6232]

This won't be a repurposing. Any piece of land close to rail ROW is a candidate as a rail station.

[@ronclark9724]

Houston has light rail public transit as well as bus public transit. Of course it is up to Houston to build light rail, not Texas Central. Texas Central does desire to develop real estate around both urban cities HSR stations with shops, restaurants, hotels, offices, and of course apartments and condos. A former mall location is a large plot of land to develop, this one on the inner freeway loop, not the outer freeway loop...

[@damntheman2]

ive just noticed that turning this into a station could revive the mall too

[@1practicaljoker]

The problem with mega projects like this is that opposing corporations, such as Southwest Airlines, will spend tons of money trying to prevent this from happening. HSR is the best option when it comes to traveling and people need to get on board with the idea and pressure their governments to get it done.

[@InfinityR319]

SWA is less resistant on this one, as it allows them to divert their resources to more profitable transcontinental flights and longer hauls. The main resistance however, came from NIMBYs in the rural region, with many of them claiming “muh eminent domain”.

[@KRYMauL]

Airlines loose money on flights that are under 2 hours in length and no one likes being in a car for longer than a few hours if they aren't racing.

[@darkboard5556]

@@InfinityR319 now you are confusing me. Isn't eminent domain the power of the government to take private property for public use?

[@ramochai]

It just drives me crazy that corporations like the one mentioned above spend a fortune to push their regressive agenda, whilst paying less than living wages to their employees. That's exactly what's wrong with neoliberalism.

[@ForelliBoy]

There's also the matter of this being in the BBB and not the infrastructure bill that already passed, so there's literally one or two senators standing in the way

[@Exodon2020]

One of HSR's greatest advantages over flying is being dropped off right in the middle of Downtown, skipping an often considerable amount of additional travel time from the airport. It makes no sense though if you build the stations in the suburbs, Miles away from any noteworthy population and business hubs. Especially if you don't operate any feeder services into the rest of the city. How are people supposed to move on from there?

[@blackhole9961]

You seem to have the notion that Houston’s urbanism is like New York City Houston’s population isn’t even concentrated downtown, it’s one giant suburbia with a very spread out population and very low density. It’s downtown area is mainly an office district with few attractions.

[@Exodon2020]

@@blackhole9961 Yeah, but Downtown still is the most central location of the greater metropolitan area, right? So it makes more sense to have Central Station there and have local Public Transit spread out from there like a spider web. In Europe and Japan HSR is also used for intercity business travel, not just for residental traffic.

[@no_rubbernecking]

You both seem to have missed the obvious. This is Q-controlled Texas. People are *not* supposed to be able to move on, coz if they can do that, they will continue to use the system. And they're not supposed to use the system. It's supposed to demonstrate the supposed impossibility of rail for the brain-damaged sector of the electorate.

[@ericdunn6232]

This isn't a game of simcity or city skylines unfortunately. Have to use what's available to put rail service into a city. Otherwise expropriation the land, or tunnel, or elevate to get into city center is astronomically expensive or will be fought by people who don't want rail lines there. Europe kept many of their terminals over the decades. North America abandoned the majority of their city center terminals for through stations long ago.

[@no_rubbernecking]

@@ericdunn6232 O. M. G. that is _blatantly_ false. Why do you people have to be making up so much fantasy about the U.S. these days. As if we don't have enough problems. Your lies are Not Helping!

[@Regular_1094]

Two years later… still a dead mall. No train station

[@brianm4178]

And ALOT of stolen land from Texas citizens for NOTHING

[@JuricksEnterprise]

Hell, 40+ years later! They've been talking about bullet trains since I was a kid! I'm almost 60 now!

[@JBoy340a]

In Asia, particularly Japan, rail is the way to travel. The stations are clean and have multi-level shopping malls with many having access to the underground walkways. People can get to these stores without having to fight through the cities highway backups. Also, they have some of the great hotels at the rail stations. We traveled there for 2 weeks going from city to city to small towns and never missed having a car.

[@ConsumptiveSoul]

That is true glad I moved to japan in 2013

[@kit266022]

@@ConsumptiveSoul Japan is the best never had a accident since its built in the 1960s other countries followed but with accident.

[@safeandeffectivelol]

Japan doesn't have our demographics. They are peaceful, curteous, and clean

[@brianjohnson9456]

@@safeandeffectivelolI wish we could say that about the US, but we can’t!🤨

[@pettyphoto]

Texas is not Japan!

[@CandyisAwesome86]

Maybe I don’t understand infrastructure but as a Houstonian, an underground train seems like a bad idea in a city that constantly floods.

[@billlong8385]

You make a good point. Pumps may work but when I lived in Houston, the pumps in freeway/service road underpasses were usually broken or stolen.

[@michaelharrison8036]

You're right, it IS a bad idea! But since the city managed to whole-handedly DESTROY the city library system in Houston, nothing should surprise anymore.

[@swals05able]

There’s an underground sort of mall under downtown.

[@user-cn8wu2ok5s]

Case in point. NYC subways

[@franciscodanconia4324]

Given that large portions of Houston are reclaimed (or still are) swamp, you’re right.

[@hvfd5956]

I have been on the roof of the Penny's store. I was a volunteer fire fighter and happened to be in the area when the call was dispatched. I was drafter by Ladder 38 to put fans on the roof. Two fire fighters per fan, since they were a tad heavy. The fire was in a trash compactor and first in engine, number 62 realized the danger and used a steel cable and a front bumper tow hook to pull the container portion from under the building. While carrying the fans up top, the smoke in the building had banked down to the 4 foot level. This did not fazed the lady shoppers. They just kept shopping!! You would think the combination of smoke and fire fighters walking in the building would have caused them concern, but no. Once the fans were placed, we ended up walking down the Ladder trucks ladder rather than go back down through the building. two hours later, while I was finishing lunch, my home station, number 28 caught an apartment fire at Trafalgar Square apartments. This ended up being a multiple building fire and I was sort of save by a captain, I rode with. It seems a bunch of fire fighters were at a local park playing ball and saw the smoke. They went by the station and picked up their gear and came on over. This captain noticed a 3 store brick wall bulging as I came out a side kitchen door after doing a search. He called me by name and told me he needed my help with something. When I got to the sidewalk, the wall came down. The captain then told me what he had seen and knew I would be in trouble if I didn't double time it to the front. In those days apartments often had wood shingle roofs. The fire was started by a teenage girl who climbed out on the roof so she would not get caught smoking by her mom.

[@aomumoo]

The issue with Northwest is that not only is the Galleria exceptionally close, but so is the (not long ago renovated) Memorial City Mall. Also, because of its location on 610, right off of 290, essentially right off of I10 and not far at all from 45, it’s so easy to get to thousands of easily accessed restaurants and stores. I regularly wish this mall was still open for me to easily shop with my kids, but it’s not its proximity as much as its simplicity. It takes me 5 minutes to get to NW, only 12 to reach Memorial City, and maybe as much for the Galleria- given the never ending congestion on that stretch of 610. But it’s that I could easily park and run in and get to what I need and let my kids walk around without being swallowed up. The other two can’t offer that. They’re far too big. But that area of Hempstead and mangum have just died in the last decade or so along with this mall. It’s so sad.

[@aomumoo]

And at one point Town and Country was also a thing. Practically right next door to Memorial City. It suffered a similar fate many years ago.

[@linzierogers5024]

Galleria close to Northwest Mall? Huh?

[@David-hm9ic]

@@linzierogers5024 Just over 4 miles. That's not far by Houston standards.

[@ratagris21]

Ironically the areas neighborhoods have developed, but the problem has been for most major retailer experts saying that there not enough parking. The irony is that most consumers parked of the food court facing NW get interchange. I worked there from 2012 to 2015. I kept telling these people this. People would ask about the Foley's reopening which it never did nor under the Macy's label. The experts are idiots.

[@LucidStew]

This is the American high speed rail line that makes the most sense. I would say normally you hear mostly HSR fans rah-rahing about this type of stuff. I am not an HSR fan. I'm a fan of interesting and worthwhile infrastructure. These are two of only maybe 10 metro areas in the U.S. that are large enough to support HSR traffic. The distance between them is the perfect length for HSR. There isn't a lot between the two cities that needs to be destroyed in order to build this. HSR would provide a viable and important transportation option to road vehicles and plane traffic between the two cities. It will make more and more sense as both Houston and Dallas metro areas grow and it's better to get it in place when its still relatively easy. This is about the only no-brainer HSR project in the nation. All most all the others have major issues. But beyond that, this a no brainer TRANSPORTATION project. Eventually this could be expanded to include Austin and San Antonio in a triangle and that would benefit Texas immensely as it continues to grow as a state.

[@champan250]

This only makes sense as it is privately built, a publicly built project will be filled with pork, corruption, bribery in a form of consulting fee and jacked up the total cost 3-4x over

[@ouicertes9764]

@@champan250 You are way too optimistic, the private companies almost always ask for public subsidies and tax breaks to build infrastructure, your taxes will pay for it anyway.

[@LucidStew]

@@champan250 Likely would make sense in the long run even at 3X the cost. Think like interstate highway system ROI at the present when a decent chunk of it was built 50 years ago. At the clip Texas has been growing, and considering the space available, it's very realistic that the population of Texas will exceed 50 million within the next 40 years. Freeways and airports alone aren't going to cut it.

[@ryan225360]

This won’t work. It’s because once you get to either Houston or Dallas you have to Uber because there is no public transit whatsoever.

[@LucidStew]

@@ryan225360 Sure it could. You put car rental in both terminals. You put bus terminals in both terminals. You could extend local rail transit to both terminals. I just looked it up. There are about 30 flights a day between Houston and Dallas in each direction. That's roughly a capacity of 4,000 passengers a day. No one has their car with them. How does that work?

[@paceline]

This video is highly optimistic. The builder originally announced that the project would have full private funding but over the years they've made it more and more clear that they want the public to fund their work. On top of that, that private entity wanted the government to seize private land for their project. And THEN comes the question of how a traveler can get anywhere in Houston from that location. The public transit system in Houston is horrible and any time and money savings are lost when you have to take an Uber from there to your destination.

[@paceline]

If the train sent Houstonians to somewhere walkable and tourist friendly like Austin or San Antonio, it might've had a better chance of moving forward.

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

Our public transit system is just for keeping the people who shouldn't be driving in the first place, off the roads, thus making it better for those of us who are still on the roads... :)

[@DROIDFARM]

It will connect with both DFW and Houston mass transit. More people drive between DFW and Houston as well as fly than between (San Antonio or Austin) to Houston. At a future point it can be expanded. The Japanese rail is working on this and they probably know this stuff as well as anyone (if not more).

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

@@DROIDFARM -- I would not put high hopes in the Japanese understanding the Texas way of thinking... We are not a mass-transit-friendly type of state and we're DAMNED PROUD OF IT... We don't care if we're stuck in traffic for hours on end as long as it is in our own private vehicles and not sharing our space with the riffraff that take mass-transit... And besides, it gives us a chance to try that new micro-brew that we saw at Spec's today...

[@ciello___8307]

@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire the japanese are only supplying trains and helping funding. Most of the actual organization is an american company

[@datboiijuanhtx]

Seeing a empty parking lot is the perfect spot to chill or taking your son or daughter to learn how to drive.

[@42976675]

Or film scenes for the movie Rushmore.

[@jamesl.a.n6394]

Northwest and Almeda Malls definitely do not have the same demographic surroundings.

[@jellybIood]

Great video. Almeda Mall is still running strong. The entire parking lot, even surrounding Burlington (early Penney’s) parking was packed last month for Christmas. It’s not the prettiest mall, but it’s alive.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Glad to hear it's still going strong. Such a waste to have Northwest mostly empty.

[@glennarnold4108]

@@ScottDaileyKZbin Tear that useless mall down. It's always been a rat trap anyway. Remove all the concrete and pavement and let it revert back to nature.

[@mik3lik.]

Missed the Houston videos, Scott. Thanks for the content!

[@ceewhateyecee9701]

Quick correction: Dallas is not Texas’ second-largest city. That title goes to San Antonio.

[@plutofeldseinfeld8839]

As Norwegian, If I'd ever go to America, I'd love to take that train. I already take the train tens of times a year, and look at trees, boreal mountains and farms. I enjoy it. I'd love even more to just look out the window and see something very different from what I'm used to.

[@Fidel_cashflo]

I don’t think it will ever be built. Texas Republican farmers are already wreaking havoc on the project through the courts

[@jamallhayden2512]

@@Fidel_cashflo Screw them I hope this project is successful!

[@Pistolita221]

I had that experience when I went to china, first time leaving the country and within 5 days i was on HSR. Totally blew me away, i closed my eyes and it felt like i wasn't moving when we were maintaining speed, and then i look outside the train and i'm flying through the chinese countryside.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

@@Fidel_cashflo Evidence?

[@jameslucero9547]

Go back to Norway.

[@RashMonroe]

I hope they pull it off! Texas would benefit greatly from a high speed rail network and this could finally push that into reality. And I hope I’m able to be one of the first riders

[@freddieelm]

Northwest Mall was THE mall I visited all through my years in Middle School and High School in the 90's

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

I love it! Do you recall when it started going downhill?

[@taustin266]

@@ScottDaileyKZbin That place was already going downhill in the 90s.

[@melindac.flores3991]

My sister and I loved going there in our teen years 😆 Long time ago haha

[@freddieelm]

@@ScottDaileyKZbin I would say 1998? I remember going there with my friends after school and there weren't that many stores left.

[@beefyiceman94]

I remember going to Northwest Mall to see a couple of model railroad clubs on the weekends, that'd be so cool if they turned it into a train station.

[@AlldatJazz-rw9wy]

I know other states have history, but I love me some Houston. I guess it's the intrigue that keeps me loving it. No matter what happens, Houston is where my heart is.

[@markschulze7841]

I'd like to see this happen and it appears to have a better shot than most schemes but the political and public battle is hard. 99% plus of us Texans have no concept of any sort of rail travel, much less HSR. People can't imagine anything but freeways, and occasionally planes, for getting around the state. If TXDOT were to ever advocate for anything different than building more highways, heads would roll. I've decided that if I ever want to do more than spend my time behind the wheel, I'm gonna have to spend more time in Europe or Asia... I have to add that DART and to some extent Houston METRO have been making valiant efforts.

[@LaGarzv]

How almeda mall has survived until now is actually impressive😊

[@x6Pnda]

I love how at 5:20 he's talking about texas rail yet it shows a Dutch train lol

[@alexZWL]

A DDZ formally known as DDAR not even close to high-speed rail

[@Slayerjane61]

Wow. This was the mall I shopped frequently as a teenager, and I didn't know it was closed. I moved years ago so it wasn't in my travel area anymore. I just assumed it was still operating. Kinda sad it's gone, but I like the idea of the rail using it as a hub.

[@nunyabussiness4054]

Hope you won't mind if I don't hold my breath waiting on that high speed rail.

[@safeandeffectivelol]

California has been working on theirs for 20 years and hasn't laid down any tracks yet despite spending over $10 billion.

[@peterhernandez3790]

Yes, I am waiting to ride the train to Dallas . This use to be a busy mall back in 1980 when I was in high school when I was living in Spring Branch.

[@Conn653]

HSR in Texas, is LONG OVER DUE! But I think what some people forget about, is the need for Rapid Transit from the HSR terminals into the down town areas of Dallas & Houston - the final link. DART Rail will need to conveniently connect with the HSR terminal in Dallas as the current topography would require removing buildings to get the HSR to Union Station in Dallas. Granted, the IDEAL situation would be to have the HSR terminus AT Union Station. Not that familiar with Houston other than being caught on 610 during rush hour once and that was enough!

[@ronclark9724]

DART has a station within walking distance, one city block, of their downtown Dallas location... One city block is not walking a mile for a Camel...

[@safeandeffectivelol]

DART runs to DFW airport. It wouldn't be difficult to have a connection to the HSR station

[@imnotyourunicorn91]

I finally landed a midmorning flight out of Hobby but that morning traffic is no joke. I'm treating my flight as if I'm leaving at the crack of dawn

[@CobHes]

i used to go to this mall as a kid, spent many many holiday shopping times here. as a local theyve been talking about this train for YEARS. well see

[@cats400]

I would love to see the high speed rail lines come to fruition. If fares were cheap enough, I'd love the option to take a day trip to Dallas via the high speed rail. I've been on the high speed rail lines in Europe and think they are a fascinating mode of transportation. Also, I just want to say that I absolutely LOVE your channel.

[@paceline]

Back in the day, they made a case that train trips would be cheaper and faster than plane flights but that was only because passenger airlines take strict safety/security measures and present day train stations don't.

[@Boxerdad27]

Right on! I hope this catches on around the country.

[@magnushultgrenhtc]

"We need high-speed rail to get people out of their cars and reduce traffic. That's why our station is going to be 5 miles outside of Houston, so that it's only a short drive to the city. Any questions? Oh, that's a lot of hands."

[@safeandeffectivelol]

I'm pretty sure they mean traffic on I-45 between Houston and Dallas.

[@billwilson-es5yn]

​@@safeandeffectivelolNope. The question is how the passengers will get to their desired destination in Houston or Dallas. Will the terminals have light rail, buses and car rentals available? Fort Worth and Dallas are dickering over a light high speed rail service between their cities that will end at the proposed HSR terminal in Downtown Dallas. The ever growing suburbs north of Dallas are now scratching their heads about having light rail running around there that will connect to that terminal. Nobody wants to lose land for that when it can be sold for a fortune for commercial and residential developments.

[@safeandeffectivelol]

@@billwilson-es5yn The same way they do at airports. DART takes passengers to DFW Airport. There are also car rentals nearby with shuttles. FT Worth and Dallas don't need HSR between the cities. They are nearby and there is already the Trinity Express that connects both systems. If anything, they need to increase the number of cars and kick the homeless people off. I used to take DART to downtown Dallas for work and it was ridiculously packed to where you couldn't find a place to stand, much less sit.

[@swals05able]

Our bus system is atrocious.

[@gregorysouthworth783]

I believe they envision buses and other transit systems to take people farther into the city. On the DFW side, it looks like plans are for a stop just south of Dallas' downtown, then a stop at Arlington's entertainment district, then on to stop in Fort Worth all along the I-30 corridor. Again, DART in Dallas and The TRE from Fort Worth would have ancillary services to other places in the urban area. I believe there are even future aspirations for a high-speed rail leg along the I-35 corridor from Fort Worth to San Antonio. Some even envision the line extending on to Monterrey MX (while I like the idea, that might be a bureaucratic hurdle too far).

[@qc8302]

The project overlooks one critical fact. No one wants to go to Houston. Even the people in Houston, don't want to be there. And DFW certainly does not want them. So why give them high speed rail to get them up here faster?

[@r.d.9399]

High speed rail should be stationed in the downtown area.

[@erikziak1249]

Unlike airports, that are located usually way out of the city, for obvious reasons.

[@Neville60001]

But it may not happen that way, for a lot of reasons.

[@rossn646]

imaging getting off the train into the middle of a wasteland.

[@ronclark9724]

Texas Central is NOT government enterprise, its private enterprise interested in not just building a HSR line, but urban real estate development as well requiring lots of land. There isn't much land available left in downtown Houston without demolishing a few skyscrapers, something Texas Central cannot afford. To fully appreciate their concept, see Dallas' Victory neighborhood development around American Airlines Arena... Texas Central desires to build commercial and residential development adjacent to their large urban stations, much more than a railroad...

[@Mocha-hy3sd]

And the railway tract should be b

[@csh000]

Houston's Bus Rapid Transit already runs North to South on North Post Oak, the road shown at 6:33. Extending the route 1.5 mile from the existing transit center at I-10 has been the plan for years providing easy access to both downtown (transfer at the transit center) and uptown (bus rapid transit straight south).

[@matthewconstantine5015]

I really hope it happens and I feel like Houston is trying, kicking & screaming to drag itself into the 21st Century, but I don't have a lot of hope.

[@imagoodlistener2730]

For the natives that is what makes it great. Ludite here. For those who lived the old way know what freedom is all about. At the same time I do realize driving cars have become such a liability rather than an uplifting moment of freedom. Maybe it would be good for someone else to drive. Lol

[@whiteknightcat]

I seem to recall that there used to be a Greyhound station at or near Northwest Mall. When traveling to and from college in the late 70's and early 80's, I recall the bus route would take us along the old Hempstead Highway parallel to what were the Southern Pacific (now UP) tracks. So much of what used to be WAY out of the city is now in it.

[@williamhuang8309]

Now time to redevelop part of that parking lot into a TOD or 24-hour neighbourhood similar to what you see around European train stations.

[@MooshkaT.V.]

This was my old stomping grounds in the 70s and the 80s. From my first real date with a girl at the movie theater. To my first kiss in a sub ground emergency exit. Many many memories.

[@jahirherrador4771]

I used to go here

[@seth3672]

The people who want it want it because it would be neat to have. The people who don't want it recognize that it's a losing proposition, since AMTRAK is losing money, there isn't enough demand to get from Houston to Dallas (for what?), and how much private land will be taken through imminent domain to build the rail?

[@DavidRobbins-e8h]

It's June of 2024 now and not one shovel full of dirt has been lifted. Amtrak is now in the head of this idea, but it isn't gaining traction. Texas is not the best place for projects such as this if they expect to use public funds to finance it.

[@ChristiRich]

I’ll be surprised if the project ever starts, let alone finishes.

[@weekendnomad5038]

Interesting. I live right by here. I have so many good memories here. I went to the school as well. It’s shut down now

[@placidian]

Nice feature on this derelict mall, I hope the HSR project comes to fruition. Back in the early 2000s, I had a regular Friday gig playing music in the food court. =D

[@derekcolvin9944]

So I'm in Southeast Houston and I want to go to Dallas on a train? I'm going to drive 20-30 minutes to Northwest Mall, where I can wait, get on the train and upon my return to Houston, hopefully my car won't be damaged or destroyed. I then drive back home 20 or 30 minutes away. OR I can get in my car, hop on Interstate 45 and within 3-4 hours, I can be in Dallas in my own vehicle and drive wherever I need to, and because I'm not relying on a rent a car or Uber I can drive back to Houston at the time I need to and I'm not restricted by train schedules. Houston needs to work on its Light Rail infrastructure, including a train that takes folks from downtown Houston to Galveston like it did 100 years ago.

[@J.AlexanderTX]

Wow I thought the Texas Supreme Court shut the project down. I would love to see it completed and a light rail connection from downtown to the station completed as well.

[@Elena-er7zp]

When I was a kid - my grandmother lived within walking distance of this mall. My teenaged aunt would take me and all of my cousins through trails for some of the way - not even all on the streets. So many days spent there in the early and mid-1980s.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Would love to hear what it was like back then!

[@gregorymoore2877]

As a kid we frequented the mall. A few times we went to the Delmar Stadium parking lot to ride go karts or launch model rockets. At least one time there was another group of people there flying RC airplanes. That was special event level entertainment in those days.

[@xxPlaceboxx]

Brightline is a private company and they shut down for a brief time during covid. so there are some downsides to privatization. More amenities and high ticket prices will be more of a focus since the line needs to be profitable. In which HSR is notorious for being unprofitable. Coordination of different rail companies will be a problem. I would assume they follow different guidelines and policies, Like different heights of doors and etc. There are some upsides I've seen to "private" when comes to building the actual tracks. They tend to have more of a common-sense approach; building along highways, saving money, time, and avoiding private land. CA building its aqueducts for its HSR has been a catastrophe. Also, the first connections are in the least dense part of CA. So asinine. My hope is we use private enterprises to build the tracks then Govt' will take over once they start losing money lol. Win-win for the people.

[@MariaHernandez-jd2bi]

I live in Houston, and that mall was called Northwest Mall. Was the first mall we visited and shopped at when we moved here in 1988. There was a JC Penney's, Macy's, Palais Royal, Bath and Body, Lerners, Structure, shoes stores abandoned eating spots. Palais Royal was the last store to close. Miss that mall.

[@DROIDFARM]

I really hope the high speed rail can be completed and kept private 🙏

[@hi.2842]

i really don’t get why americans think that. a good railway system is state owned, nationwide and connects almost everything. if i habe 20 private companies who don’t work together, that’s not possible.

[@stanzhang3187]

Highly doubt it can. Competing with subsidized roads is very hard, as well as the inflated costs in America compared to China.

[@ee-ef8qr]

The only way it can be kept private is through monopolization, otherwise the owner of a high popularity rail line can just fuck over other railroad companies operating on that line, by puting their trains on the lowest priority.

[@petrfedor1851]

Laugh in JHMD

[@jmd1743]

Wow! This is such a smart approach to utilizing our resources. If it were to happen then that dying area of Huston would have a renaissance.

[@quigonkenny]

Native Houstonians reading the arguments in the comments be like, "None of these people have ever been to Houston..."

[@mr88cet]

Interesting! I grew up near Almeda Mall. We went to Northwest Mall only once that I can recall, while the two were twins. That … twin paradox? … was pretty wild! I don’t live near either now, but I have driven past the Northwest Mall site a handful of times, now and then.

[@schaulinnoam]

It makes no sense to put the station there. I don't understand why they don't follow or use the existig tracks to the current Amtrak station. The line is flat, steight and has a much more central location. They could build a new station there if they wanted, right behind it there is a disused yard. Or they could build the new station a bit to the west of it (between the Silver Street crossing and Houston Avenue underpass). To there they even could extend the purple/green line quite easily and offer good connecting services.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

My understanding is that the right of way going to Downtown doesn't have enough room to add tracks without Union Pacific having to lose some which they don't want. The Silver Street area would be a great location for the station.

[@MarceloBenoit-trenes]

@@ScottDaileyKZbin there is another possibility: built a bridge over the UP tracks to reach downtown OR run over the same tracks, with an usage agreement and money, and high overhead wires for double stack trains).

[@YukarioMashimato]

Simply because Amtrak doesn't own the corridor they're on. Have to build a separate line due to UP blocking any HSR upgrades on their tracks. Same reason why CA is building from scratch.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

@@MarceloBenoit-trenes I would think elevating it wouldn't be that big of a deal since they're already going to have to elevate a lot of it.

[@deepsleep7822]

@@YukarioMashimato : agreed. UP would never agree to this.

[@sosa5569]

This is my child hood mall when I was 7 my aunt took me and my mom and my older brother who is now 21 this was around 2014-16 bro I missed this so much

[@melindac.flores3991]

My sister and I would frequent NW Mall as teenagers 😆😆

[@ericdunn6232]

Seems to me the lost opportunity could have been to link Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to George Bush Intercontinental. With terminals at the airports and near city center, passengers could transfer from one airport to the other, or take a connecting train to the other instead of a flight and traffic between the airport and city could be reduced. People travelling from city to city could use the airport or city station depending on convenience.

[@ronclark9724]

Texas Central desires to not just build a railroad, they also desire to develop real estate adjacent to their two large urban stations, which requires lots of land... Something it appears Europeans can't comprehend. See Dallas' Victory neighborhood adjacent to American Airlines Arena...

[@jackgross6133]

Makes perfect sense...

[@afweath05]

If you go to Europe, many of their train stations are like malls! They've got tons of shopping and dining in those transit facilities.

[@futurecanadian]

and access to local transit. I did a trip to south France. I stayed in Montpelier, Nice and Grenoble. All three trains were walking distance to the trams (loved the trams systems in France! And, in useless info, my fav tram system is Melbourne. Actually stayed in St Kilda and took the tram in Melbourne..

[@terrygelinas4593]

It works well if the train station is downtown - hence Frankfurt and Munich and other countries/cities in Europe. Toronto and NYC have places to eat in their downtown train stations, too - huge passenger volumes.

[@petrfedor1851]

@@terrygelinas4593 In lot of cases train stations were build at outskirts of city/town but since the late 19 century the city grow and downtown expanded with it. Two bigest Prague stations for example were build on place vacant after defunction of city walls.

[@timpriddy349]

I was homeless around that area under the 610 bridge on hempstead circa 2009..........something I will never forget

[@peace8373]

When an American visits Europe, see they have a multi-model transportation system that allows the citizens to get around the city, region, country, multi-country, even internationally they could see, having multiple means of transportation is very high in raising one's quality of life. So, for you stuck in your car, waiting in line to be searched at an airport, you could hop on a train and enjoy a movie and be at your destination without all the hassles you deal with today. Wake up Texas, think with your mind, do not let the rich and wealthy that own the airlines or make money off of your vehicle, buy the politicians again.

[@blackhole9961]

Because American cities aren’t anything like European cities, please don’t ever make that comparison. European public transit works so well because their cities don’t have the same low density sprawl Americans do.

[@peace8373]

@@blackhole9961 Keep drinking the kool-aide. Yet Texas will spend many billions on their freeways. There are many destinations in the USA that can support high-speed rail. The population density is high enough, the distance is close enough, the need is there, just you want your car. Well stay stuck in traffic, I will take a train, over an airplane between lots of American cities.

[@blackhole9961]

@@peace8373 actually no the population density is no where near enough. American cities/“urban areas”(depending on how or what you’d define as “urban”) are designed like huge suburbs rather than an actual urban city like New York Paris Rome or London.

[@blackhole9961]

@@peace8373 for me to commute to the train station it’s at least 30 minutes just like commuting to the airport by car.

[@blackhole9961]

@@peace8373 the distance is close enough sure, but those 2 cities are 2 of the most car centric cities in America, without a car you aren’t going to be getting anywhere.

[@okusux]

Rip the antique mall that was there 😭😭 i miss that place everyday 😭

[@Realalma]

I bought my favorite antique furniture there 😭

[@michaelgreen9484]

I live in California, ironically today I took Amtrak from Modesto to Bakersfield. As my train traverse the route, I could see the tracks for the new high speed train being built. The train is going to take at least 10 to 15 years to fully be completed from LA to San Francisco, when it is completed it is going to be a lot faster than driving or flying to these two cities. As such, I think Texas needs to link their two populous cities with a high speed train now. It won’t be cheap, but having another option than flying or driving would be better overall and will reduce greenhouse gases.

[@glennfoster2423]

It is late in the day, but the planned route should borrow from Herb's light bulb moment to connect the three major metroplexes. The central point of IAH/DFW/SAT is around College Station and Waco. Instead of a Delta configuration, the route could conform to a three-legged stool.

[@coyotelong4349]

Honestly the original route map of Southwest Airlines- The Dallas-Houston-San Antonio Triangle- would be the perfect route for a Texas HSR network, at least to start. Throw Austin in there as well Serious money to be made America is likely too big to make a nationwide high speed rail network viable, but WITHIN states that have multiple large cities and huge populations (like Texas, California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), intrastate high speed rail systems are ideal

[@HiDefHDMusic]

Seattle>Salt Lake City>Denver>Dallas>Houston>San Antonio San Antonio>El Paso>Phoenix>Las Vegas>San Francisco>Seattle Connect LA to Las Vegas and you’ve got every major area on the west side of the country in one big loop. The Dallas airport is already the second busiest in the world, investment in high speed rail would only help people travel around the country without putting more strain on our aging infrastructure

[@rodneyringler3745]

Texas was settled and built with railroads. Rail was replaced by Automobiles and Highways and Airlines. Airlines are very restrictive by Security Requirements. It would be very nice to have an affordable and convenient alternative. RAIL. But in all honesty. It should not be restricted to just Dallas and Houston. I like both destinations but prefer Fort Worth to Galveston. As a very young boy, living in Amarillo, every few mornings I would see the Santa Fe Super Chief going from Chicago to LA. My young, imaginative mind would dream of Who was onboard?What was it like? Where there Movie Star's or Hoboo's? Where they Rich or Poor? A young boy dreams... The only train ride I had experienced was sitting stuck in sweltering heat... just trying to go from Amarrillo to Oklahoma city. Lied to myself and told myself I would never set foot on a train again!😂

[@stanstantalent.5605]

I'll believe it when I actually see it getting built, until then it's all talk. I'd love to actually ride a bullet train but I don't think it'll be possible in America (in my lifetime lol).

[@stevengordon3271]

To the many people pointing out the lack of mass transit connectivity with this location of the station, I would point out that the airport is also far from downtown and that effective mass transit connectivity with the airport only happened after the airport was built, not before.

[@christopherclayton8354]

As someone who lives in Houston and has for 41 years; the train is a giant waste of time and money. As a great example, look at out light rail. Not sure who’s pockets get lined with the ideas but it certainly doesn’t serve enough of the public or have enough of a logical effect to be worth it.

[@MarceloBenoit-trenes]

As usual, someone that says that it doesnt work... when in fact, it does.

[@blackhole9961]

You do know you have to drive to that station like an airport right?

[@cjedgerly]

Will Houston add lightrail infrastructure to get people downtown quickly from this station location?

[@gabetalks9275]

I'm not impressed with this mall being the location of the station. It's too far outside of the city center and surrounded by highways. It looks like it's going to be yet another drive-in train station, which is the exact opposite of what we should be building. The mall should be converted into a walkable low income housing community. Not another car-centric project.

[@weekendnomad5038]

This is my neighborhood and everyone has been fighting it for years. Since 2017 or earlier 😫 guess they finally got their way

[@johnfrank6112]

When you get to Dallas how do you get around? When you get to Houston, how do you get around? If the Texas High Speed rail also transports vehicles, like the Chunnel does between England and France, then let's talk. If it doesn't, it's a disaster.

[@TransitAndTeslas]

Dallas has DART, and Houston has Metro. Use these to connect to the HSR

[@johnfrank6112]

@@TransitAndTeslas You're going to depend and ride on Houston Metro Bus Lines. No wonder you moved to Arizona.

[@blackhole9961]

Do you honestly think DART will get you around? To six flags yes, to everywhere else, basically no. Unless you live right next to the stations and they take you within a close enough distance you better have a car with you.

[@TransitAndTeslas]

@@blackhole9961 Buses exist too, no? Lyft and Uber too?

[@blackhole9961]

@@TransitAndTeslas the DART bus system is horribly inefficient, slow, doesn’t take you everywhere, overall unreliable. And if you Uber and Lyft everywhere your just spending extra money and the whole process becomes much more expensive and complicated than just taking your car for a relatively average drive by American standards.

[@Carman1744]

I have been to Northwest Mall years ago, kinda sad that it closed.

[@nolls888]

On my trip to Japan, I traveled from Tokyo to Kyoto on a bullet train. It took about 2 hours. That is the same distance as Houston to Mcallen Tx. I HATE having to drive to the Rio Grande Valley for almost 6 hours and by bus it is 8 hours.. It's terrible.. I hope they can speed this project in the next years and hopefully create another bullet train that connects to the Valley. I would hope so since Brownsville now has Starbase and Elon Musk is down there creating some newer opportunity for works. -fingers crossed-

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Valley would be great! I'm afraid that's way down the road if ever though :(

[@glennarnold4108]

Then GO TO JAPAN AND LIVE - here with the way this has been done it's REGRESS - NOT PROGRESS. Not all of us ever wanted Houston to get this useless big. It's a mess and traffic is just a small part of the ever-increasing mess.

[@sangmoon2464]

The Highland Mall in Austin was turned into an Austin Community College campus. It feels weird walking inside it and seeing the stairways and and walkways from the original mall with storefronts turned into classrooms.

[@ericdunn6232]

Private run railroad does not serve as a model for others. There are simply only so many profitable routes. And privately owned and operated routes simply mean the profit ends up going into the pockets of the private operator with none to expand service into less.profitable areas. No other mode of transportation in the US exists purely on profit and free of government support. Why is rail treated differently?

[@Pistolita221]

car's aren't free, they just know that if the roads were toll roads no one would drive. I need insurance, gas AND tolls at every corner? No ty.

[@ericdunn6232]

​@@Pistolita221 Kind of the point. Airports, the FAA, NTSB (and their equivalent in other countries) all exist because government pays (or paid) for them. Roads are built and maintained by government. All historical rail exists because of government giving away monopolies, land, and cash. But new rail has to be profitable from the outset in the minds of many. Getting towns connected to the highway system is seen as a no brainer to many, but connecting high speed rail transport to them is seen as wasteful if the towns aren't lucky enough to be in a straight line between terminals. (although, "connecting" a population to a mode of transport doesn't necessarily mean direct access. And the biggest problem is the political interference in plans or the lack of plans defining how different sized communities should be served and connected to transportation infrastructure.)

[@ZontarDow]

Given how Japan's HSR network is universally considered the gold standard for rail quality, and 5 of their 7 companies running HSR lines are private (with a 6th being a publicly owned but privately operated one), given these facts is it any wonder why California's public HSR line is massively overbudget and timetable for opening even after over a decade of wasting resources, while for only a fraction of the cost Florida has its own private HSR line that's open, expanding, building a second line out west, and this project is being done? Sorry to break it to you, but rail is another industry where socialistic assumptions about reality get crushed line a bug under a boot when the facts are actually looked at. The easiest way to ensure HSR never arises is to grant the government a monopoly on it.

[@Pistolita221]

@@ZontarDow The profit motive is why the US doesn't embrace mass transit, mass transit is too efficient. Auto insurance, rubber, oil, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, police, and auto makers have hundreds of billions per company tied up in the automobiles success. Transit is something best left to the government. If transit was entirely left up to the profit motive, there wouldn't be roads in the country, farmers aren't worth it. There wouldn't be roads or sewage in most places if we left things up to the profit motive. We'd be looking like India. Our whole road system loses money, but we agree as a society it's necessary to all chip in in order to be able to have a higher standard of living. Are you arguing against the highway system?

[@ZontarDow]

@@Pistolita221 The profit motive was why America had the world's best mass transit before the disastrous state program that was the Interstate Program. Before the Interstate America had a vibrant private rail at the local, regional, state and national level, the backbone of both cargo and transit, and then the government spent ungodly amounts of money and an unprecedented use of Eminent Domain to carve a path of destruction through cities for the project, funding highways that never would have arisen from the private sector because while tolled private highways could be profitable connecting cities, there's no way to make it profitable to bulldoze half of downtown for a highway without state funding. Yes, I'm arguing against the public highway system, the one that destroyed America's rail.

[@Auxodium]

If they have the determination and willpower like in Florida with new rail services. Then it will work. Projects like this, albeit hard are manageable due to the shortness of distance, compared to California.

[@scottwendt9575]

There are two things going for this project. One, it’s private and two, they chose a Japanese partner. Unlike a public project, this will either get built and be a success, or they will determine it probably won’t succeed and then they won’t build it. Public projects like CHSR get built even after it’s been determined it will fail once completed. This country is littered with public transit mega projects that never met their promised ridership. Not even 20 miles from me we have a failed commuter line that continues to suck away tax dollars. North Star Rail currently has only 2,000 riders a month! That’s less than 70 people a day and results in a per rider cost of over $450 per person for each trip. Their argument for why it’s failing… because the end of the line is in a suburb and not a regional city center. And yet, we are in the middle of yet another LRT project that isn’t close to completion and is already 3 times the original budget that will also end in the middle of a low density suburb. See the pattern? Public rail projects are seldom about meeting actual existing needs and almost always about attempted social engineering and graft. It’s about buying votes and paying back certain constituencies. Private rail projects have one goal - Return on investment! And that only happens if they actually serve a purpose.

[@MrNeilTV]

My favorite antique store was in that mall till a few months ago…. Also I wouldn’t hold your breath on that train we’ve been waiting decades. Never gets past talking.

[@joshuaandino]

You know, if the opposition group loses and construction successful begins, Texas could become America's France/Japan (in terms of tech). You also have companies like Tesla, Oracle, and HP residing in Texas now. But this can only happen if TCR wins. If the project end up getting dead, this will prove America will never have anything, like it never had. Quite disappointing. But let's see what happens

[@Oh6Torch]

Any updates on this? 2 years later now…

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Amtrack took over, no updates since then I believe!

[@terrygelinas4593]

The proposed station at this abandoned mall is 5 miles from downtown, which largely defeats the purpose of high-speed rail. Successful main/central rail stations are locate either at or very near to downtown. Texas' car culture and suburban-style layouts/planning are again evident. Not a fan of this.

[@ugiswrong]

This is a foot in the door. Tunneling downtown will be a no brainer if it‘s popular

[@terrygelinas4593]

@@ugiswrong that is a bigger project and would cost more - so it needs $$$$ approval. The point of making the abandoned mall a station is that it is cheaper (but far away), so if there were a proper investment, the $$$$ would be approved to have a station downtown.

[@ugiswrong]

@@terrygelinas4593 Stages bro, stages.

[@Neville60001]

Terry,have you ever heard of the concept of 'baby steps'? In a state like this that is unfamiliar with HSR, building the station like this is a good way to do it if the state doesn't want to spend millions digging a tunnel to downtown,then building a station above.

[@terrygelinas4593]

@@Neville60001 that would be very expensive in the long run, compared to having a full design that includes downtown - invest up front and get it done end to end. This is part of the sad mentality of Penny wise pound foolish. Also you it is not good for the passenger market, and you still have huge car dependency - defeats the purpose. In France and Germany, for example, they don't mess around and get the whole thing done.

[@vidpie]

Northwest Mall is the first mall that I ever visited. My family moved to northwest Houston in the early 1970s.

[@BFDT-4]

The US is a dead end for passenger rail. It deserves all the abuse it has heaped on itself.

[@jorgecanales798]

Dallas, TX also had a mall similar to that one. The name was “SOUTHWEST Center Mall” with the nickname of “Redbird mall” It’s off of US-67 and Camp Wisdom. I remember it having a Sears, Several shoe stores and a Macys if I’m not wrong. The only surviving store in that mall is Burlington. They be gentrifying that shopping center since 2017-2018 adding a foot locker and a Starbucks

[@mabeljoe4305]

Do you remember Northline Mall?

[@chandlerjohnson8789]

Great vid. SD, keep it up.

[@jtc1947]

One of the BIGGEST problems with any high-speed rail project is the FACT that in MOST situations, FREIGHT TRAIN COMPANIES own the tracks and so FREIGHT gets the right of way and passenger trains have to WAIT to be CLEARED!

[@fightingforthefuture2941]

I live in a county right beside of one where the rail is running through. I am very excited to ride it one day.

[@razvandobos9759]

I would love to go there. I’m a mall rat who frequents the Galleria and Baybrook and San Jacinto Mall (another dead one) and would’ve love to see this. I’ve been to Almeda Mall once September 2020. Then you got Greenspoint Mall, known by the locals as Gunspoint Mall!

[@randallfrink2701]

Stan Jacinto mall has been leveled and parking lot torn up, it’s like it was never there at all. Truly sad for someone who spent formative teenage years and having their first real job at that Foleys 😢

[@k-hustlethesportspreacher5941]

Northwest Mall is the most centralized area of Greater Houston suburbs (Cypress, Katy, Humble, Baytown, Pearland, & Sugarland). This site is connected to I-10 which is the major corridor through the City.

[@christiangonzales7429]

It's also right outside of the Galleria area, which didn't help it at all.

[@KCTxGurl]

Huh? It's right next to the 610 loop and US 290. The northwest Metro bus transit center is next to I-10.

[@5thGenNativeTexan]

I worked for a few years for a company based in Dallas, and once or twice a month would make the Houston to Dallas run. The decision was always whether to fly or drive. I'd almost always drive, and a colleague near me would almost always fly. And nine out of ten times I'd beat him to Dallas, as well as the return trip. For some people, who live near, or south, or the rail station, it may be a beneficial option. Or if you personally can't make the drive to Dallas, or vice-versa. But for me, even if the rail were operational, and I was still making the Dallas commute, I'd drive.

[@michaelmerrill7510]

Awesome Video Scott! Metro is right now having studies done linking to the station. I'm a believe.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Thanks! Yeah I heard that they were going to connect it to the N Post Oak transit center

[@g3mck120]

NW Mall is within walking distance of the Northwest Transit Center, which has a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lane to the Post Oak/Galleria "downtown". Just needs a pedestrian overpass or two. But dragging a suitcase it would still be a pain. I hope they're sensible enough to include a rental car center in the station.

[@Neville60001]

@@g3mck120,they _could_ do so, but having one _might_ be counterproductive, especially if you can get a light rail train or BRT from the airport to where you live.

[@anastasiagill3893]

Great video. Not to nitpick but Northwest Mall isn't 5 miles from downtown, it's more like 9 or 10 miles depending on the route.

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

Depends upon what part of downtown you are talking about... It's 6 miles straight line distance from the Hempstead Highway entrance to the northern portion of downtown near the Bayou and if you take the local roads, it's a 7-8 mile driving distance... Not that there is anything wrong with picking nits -- you don't want to leave them on you, right? :)

[@poppab389]

Southwest Airlines is trying hard to make this rail line a success since they are failing to get their operations system updated. So this may happen sooner than later!

[@adro894]

Those brick arches are gorgeous, don't demolish those find a way to incorporate them into the station

[@dannyknowlton]

I would love for this high-speed rail project to succeed!

[@jashar1]

LOL, Dallas is in the panhandle on the "Housto to Dallas" map. I remember going to the NW mall, my mom loved that Foley's.

[@anncain2432]

Great, that mall is 5 minutes away..... problem is it will be years before they get the train up & running!

[@erikziak1249]

Question: How do the potential high speed rail passengers get to and from the station? How long does the commute take? How much will it cost? How reliable will it be (congestion issues)? Will there be a good public transport service?

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

They are allegedly planning on connecting it to the uptown BRT line which would tie it in to the metro bus/rail system. They have not released final numbers on cost.

[@erikziak1249]

@@ScottDaileyKZbin Any Bus will not be attractive. Bus = can be easily rerouted or abandoned (vehicles used elsewhere). A dedicated rail (or trolleybus) system is sort of a guarantee that it will keep operating for decades. I know that this is hard to plan, especially in the US. It remains hard in Europe as well. But, lucky for us, politicians do continue in the support of long term transit solutions, e.g. rail mass transit systems once they are built. Those, who do not are not voted for here in Europe.

[@erikziak1249]

@@ScottDaileyKZbin Numbers on cost. And what about numbers of expected ridership? What measures are they doing to make the system attractive for passengers?

[@Neville60001]

@@ScottDaileyKZbin, I concur with Erik; buses are shit (as is BRT), and streetcars/light rail are much better at carrying people than buses are.