Texas' $30BN High-Speed Railway

[@MegaBuildsYT]

Go to ground.news/megabuilds to make sure you’re getting the full story. Subscribe through our link for less than $1/month or get 40% off unlimited access. Thanks a lot for watching! 💛 What side do you take on the Texas High-Speed Railway?

[@glennzanotti3346]

I'm a Texan. That high speed rail between Houston and Dallas has been "currently being reviewed for over 44 years.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

Basically it's no faster than air travel because you still have the same terminal systems and baggage systems and rental car systems at each end. Unless you live close to the terminal at each end, it means an hour in each city just to get on teh train and then to get to where you're going on the other end.

[@glennzanotti3346]

@@arthurfoyt6727 I fly between Dallas and Houston about once a month. When you add in all the flight delays, it can take all day to get from one city to the other. Last week, my flight was canceled due to a broken plane. I had to stay in a dump of a hotel in Houston. Why not drive? I used to, but got tired of all damage to my car from rocks, debris and truck tire carcasses. I tried rental cars, but just as expensive as flying.

[@colormedubious4747]

@@arthurfoyt6727 That depends entirely on your origin and destination points, the purpose of your trip, and availability of local rail transit at each end. For example: if you live in Plano and need to attend a meeting in downtown Houston, your "luggage" would probably be just a carry-on laptop (NO baggage check needed). Ideally, you could drive to a DART station (and leave your car there all day), ride DART to Union Station, take the HSR to downtown Houston (where the station SHOULD be), and ride Metro or walk to the skyscraper where your meeting is (NO rental car needed). Reverse when you're done. By air, you'd have to drive to DFW, park, fly to IAH or Hobby, rent a car, drive downtown, park, and reverse when done (but also have to return the rental car). I've traveled between a number of cities using air and train and the train is ALWAYS more convenient. There a quite a few city pairs that are so close that air travel between them isn't even an option.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

@@colormedubious4747 Learn To Fly. I fly myself regularly to FTW, DAL, SAT and back to Houston. I park in my own hangar and family picks me up since they live near the smaller airport. Do that and ALL Texas cities are available, not just 3 or 4.

[@andyw6702]

I'm a Texan too and you're right, the talk has been going on for decades. I'm surprised that didn't include the Austin/San Antonio metro area, the IH35 corridor, which is worse than the IH 45 corridor, making the high speed train a triangle network. That's in a perfect world however. I don't believe a word these bozos spew.especially if AMTRAK has anything to do with it. All the competence of the US Postal Service, in other words, none at all. You can take it to the bank, it'll never happen, thank God.

[@findingninno2]

As a Houstonian who has driven the I-45 trek to Dallas multiple times, I can tell you that the high-speed railway would be a huge benefit. I'm willing to bet farmers must have complained back in the day when I-45 was built, but eventually got used to it once it was built.

[@Will.Power55]

@@findingninno2 it would be one thing if the rail used the existing right of way, but it doesn’t.

[@johnfrank6112]

Where did you go when you hit the city limit of Dallas? Yeah, you guys never mention the last mile of the journey do you?

[@hardmack]

@@johnfrank6112 What do you do when you fly? Turo, Rentals, Cabs, Uber.

[@johnfrank6112]

@@hardmack When I flew, I arrived in Europe, where there is decent ample local transport. I never was dropped off in terminals with no connections to local transport. You want to wait and pay an uber or ride the Houston bus line? Good luck to you.

[@SquirrelRocket]

@@johnfrank6112 We aren't talking about Europe here. We are talking about the US. When you fly into a US city, what do you do? You rent a car or get an Uber into the city. This is competing against US transport, not the European setup.

[@Jayquan92]

Being a New Yorker living in Houston I would love this. Honestly Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso should be link by a rail system with small stops in College Station, Waco, and San Marcos for the college kids.

[@thehairywoodsman5644]

please go back to New York and take your democrat lefty ways with you !

[@onomatopoeia162003]

We have the light rail here in MN. Up in the cities :)

[@arthurfoyt6727]

Have you ridden the busses in Houston?

[@Celtic-Texan]

There would be practically ZERO justification to extend it all the way out to El Paso. That would triple the price tag with negligible benefit, since hardly anybody would use that line compared to the triangle.

[@Jayquan92]

@@arthurfoyt6727 yes and the buses take too long

[@calculatorade]

Been in Texas all my life. DO IT. THIS WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE GIFT TO YOURSELF AND YOUR NEIGHBOR.

[@justinr9753]

For criminals

[@icanfartloud]

High speed trains don't succeed. Nobody uses them

[@gayorsomethingidk553]

​​@@justinr9753Could you elaborate? I mean, you can say highways are a large benefit to criminals since they allow them to evade police but that's a bit of a dumb claim.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

Why would a train be a good thing? Airplanes are faster and cheaper and don't require a railroad that needs maint.

[@dougclem7711]

Gonna be a billion dollar money pit. Where is BROWN & ROOT when there's money to be made?

[@scottkessel952]

Should build train for Texas triangle- Houston Dallas Austin and San Antonio

[@davidanalyst671]

thats right. Except the only problem with that is that people like going to austin, houston doesn't have any fun stuff, and Dallas is full of douchebags and nobody wants to go to dallas for fun things.

[@bagtea]

@@davidanalyst671 you just dont travel for fun stuffs

[@chuckinhouston9952]

That’s how Southwest Airlines got started - SAT-DAL-HOU.

[@dcmiguel7777]

@@chuckinhouston9952 SW Airlines sees this project as a threat

[@colormedubious4747]

The 1993 HSR proposal, in other words.

[@domtweed7323]

I like trains.

[@ADE1000SON]

I like brains.

[@ssslimey]

MOAR BRAINS!

[@blargblarg5657]

Yes you do. - Dad

[@wreckingopossum]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3XNgH9orMprodEsi=IbwZyFggPKG4TOEE

[@fernandobriseno8164]

Like trains huh 😏😂?

[@Poppy293E]

As a Texan this is so old and was only going to cost $1 Billion then, they've jacked around so long now it thirty Billion. Wheels will never let it happen.

[@HardRockMaster7577]

That's a year's worth of Military aid. Maybe we could let China do the Military aid...

[@budc.8172]

Thats the same line of crap they told Californians about their highspeed rail. The price just keeps increasing by the billions and no progress is being made fir years. Highspeed rail is a scam and needs to be ignored.

[@tommoore2012]

They'll interfere and cause delay. But you can't stop progress. The train will sooner or later be built.

[@American_2]

That's why we can't have nice things. old folks are so stubborn. They always ruin things for the future.

[@colormedubious4747]

They're dumber than you think. In 1993, the price tag was about $5 billion for the ENTIRE Texas Triangle route. They selected the bidder that lied about "no government guarantees required" instead of the bidder that said they'd be necessary -- and NOTHING was built.

[@fuzzy3440]

One thing that makes this more feasible in Texas compared to California is the terrain is fairly flat between Houston and Dallas. A massive problem California is facing is the terrain is extremely complex. There are substantial hills and mountains ranges in California making the costs much higher. The land values in California are also much higher, so the right-of-way is far more expensive.

[@dianabarahona2233]

China also has hills and mountains, and it isn't a problem.

[@fuzzy3440]

@@dianabarahona2233 Yeah, but China also has slave labor (or close enough), so I don't think it's comparable. There is also no real property protections for landowners in China. Additionally, China is ok with occasional accidents which cause large causualties of train passengers, which are unacceptable in the U.S.

[@davidanalyst671]

dont lie. California can't build a railroad because of all the corruption.

[@olivedidnt4609]

​@@fuzzy3440the only train accident i heard are only in usa,please do better 😅😅😅😅😅

[@f-86zoomer37]

@@dianabarahona2233 Yeah, but in china, protesting a government infrastructure project is definitely not going to end well for those involved either.

[@slaltemus]

I travel this route several times a month. I hate the drive so I mostly fly it. However, a train would be a fantastic option. I would use it.

[@ophs1980]

Of all the high speed rail lines that have been proposed in the U.S., this would be the easiest one to get done. No major rivers to cross, and no mountains to tunnel through. It's mostly flat farmland.

[@davidanalyst671]

no airline companies dropping serious money to prevent this from happening...... oh wait

[@Nitro9n]

The fact that it would be the easiest to get done but would still costs $32 billion doesn’t bode well for the future of HSR in the US.

[@ablative1732]

Two words- Texas politics. They don't want any change, especially property disputes they have that yellow flag with a snake everywhere here.

[@BigRodd91]

@@ablative1732 How has Californian politics helped the HSR they're trying to build?!

[@ablative1732]

@@BigRodd91 California botched it the same as Texas and the deregulation of the power grid caused the 2021 winter disaster. If you are trying to convince me one state is corrupt and the other isn't due to party or especially personal identity politics then you are wasting effort.

[@JRNY07]

We need Shinkansen trains all over the US. Air travel is terrible here. Wish they would replace the Capital Limited line with high-speed rail.

[@surajsubedi4425]

chinese waill help u. They are super power in bullet train.

[@user-qo4kb4dr1i]

@@surajsubedi4425 nah

[@sunnyshibaowner8825]

Air travel in america is actually extremely good lmao what?

[@arthurfoyt6727]

BS. I fly all over the USA whenever I want to, carry bags without paying extra, and flight schedules are a non issue. Lean to fly.

[@user-qo4kb4dr1i]

@arthurfoyt6727 it takes about the same amount to drive 200-300 miles as fly 200-300 miles. That's not great.

[@JCox1701]

As a DFW resident, just build the bloody train line already! Driving to Houston is a NIGHTMARE and gets worse every year!

[@doglover32993]

I'm a Houstonian with a lot of friends and family in DFW. A train would be a game changer. I hate the drive but I miss my loved ones.

[@62758kbeck]

Driving anywhere in Texas is a nightmare...

[@callmevbuck4054]

@@62758kbeck Even the closest metro area to DFW (Tyler being the area in question) is still an hour and a half away.. In fact; as a Texan, no 2 metro areas are less than an hour apart…

[@Card_Threapy]

⁠ you have to understand in America we don’t have people that are proper and respect anybody or anything they would jump in front of the train because they know that you get insurance money they would do stupid stuff to hurt themselves. It’s not gonna work. There would be too many in America

[@TruckingaccrossUSA]

Please make this happen Texas. You have no clue how amazing it would be to hop on a train in the morning spend the day in Houston or Austin and come back home to Dallas in a day!

[@kenbrohere]

Yeah. That's what it's for.

[@gendoll5006]

I worked with a girl who drove almost 3 hours to work ONE WAY. She made good money, but it wasn’t like 6 figures by any means. I wouldn’t drive more than 30 mins to a job. It’s insane to take 6 hours out of my day just in traffic, put that many miles and wear and tear on my car and take that much risk of getting into an accident every day.

[@skywalka02]

That’s not good money at all if you have a 6 hour commute for a job under six figures.

[@xeridea]

I wouldn't drive 6 hours round trip to work if I got 7 figures.

[@skywalka02]

@@xeridea right

[@airgunningyup]

@@skywalka02 barely good money for a 45 minute commute

[@stanley917]

Two options. Change jobs. Change residence location.

[@MrPAULONEAL]

Amtrak needs dedicated rail lines.

[@metarus208]

this is one of the main reasons why the US passenger railway is lagging other large developed countries!

[@HardRockMaster7577]

America has the best Freight Rail system in the World. Other countries have the best dedicated passenger rail lines in the world. I guess you can't have both!! 😕🤔

[@donaldleyton4977]

@@HardRockMaster7577 This is what people don't understand, freight rail in the US is not broken so why fix it. Im for building HSR in places where its practical, but the freight system needs to be left alone. It makes zero sense to bring freight rail from an A rating to a D to bring passenger from a D- rating to a D.

[@MrDisgruntledGamer1]

its pointless, the train is too slow and old. We should just expands this new train.

[@HardRockMaster7577]

@@donaldleyton4977 I agree 100% with what you said!

[@mars.529]

Im a Houstonian I approve this fast speed rail system.

[@erichter66]

If a high-speed railroad segment is built quickly and commercially successful, it will blow the doors off for fast trains all over the US. I can't even imagine being able to go to Dallas for a concert and come back the same day.

[@1Reddd]

If the plan makes it to fruition, I hope they connect the entire Texas triangle and not just Houston and Dallas. Being from the Dallas area I would have no real desire to want to travel to Houston, but Austin on the other hand I absolutely would.

[@Mohdaman13]

Why are you throwing shade on us Houstonians 😂. Regardless, we've taken I-45 many times, this is a great idea and the triangle should definitely be completed.

[@Poppy293E]

And San Antonio

[@vincentluu9469]

I think thats the purpose of the route they used, there was suppose to be a stop near Bryan, TX. im sure in the future, that will be the hub to split off to austin/san antonio

[@Poppy293E]

Then I guess you'd hate the idea of Galveston or omg how about they connect DFW to El Paso.

[@1Reddd]

@Th3RealRyan That does make a lot more sense. The lines would see so much more traffic that way too making the investment more worthwhile.

[@thetacoman92]

We need to at least connect the texas triangle. Imagine living in San Antonio and getting to houston in 30 mins to work

[@mattbowdenuh]

imagine being able to live in houston and getting to work in houston in 30min

[@jem77469]

Let's be realistic. 30 minutes from your San Antonio home to the train station; parking and arriving a little before departure time adds another 30 minutes, then the train ride, then another 30-60 minutes to get from the Houston train station to your final destination in Houston.

[@timothykeith1367]

A ticket won't be cheap

[@blargblarg5657]

​@@mattbowdenuh you either live in Houston or visited recently

[@Celtic-Texan]

Imagine living in San Antonio and working in your own city. This is the problem, people need to stop living multiple cities away from their jobs. That alone would decongest the roads tremendously. COVID proved a massive portion of society can telecommute, but companies are now forcing their employees back into office spaces, in many cases unnecessarily.

[@prettyboy1970]

Texas needs to step up and lead the way on high speed rail. Imagine Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, all being interconnected and under 2 hours from each other.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

Or just create a fleet of dedicated 737's on those routes and a new airport at each destination. That's doable NOW and no need to screw up the Texas countryside.

[@blakeloyd1]

Houston to Austin, Austin to Dallas too.

[@FromThe3PointLine]

Who wants to go to Austin? That place is like a mini Los Angeles

[@mattbowdenuh]

Give us San Antonio to Austin with stops at New Braunfels and San Marcos. That stretch of 35 is ridiculous. And its only getting worse as San Antonio expands north past NB and Austin expands south past Kyle/Buda towards San Marcos. In 10 years time, you wont even know when you left San Antonio metro and entered Austin metro. It's gonna be like I-30 from Dallas to Arlington to Ft Worth. Just solid people.

[@HardRockMaster7577]

With Elon Musck moving so much of his empire to Texas... We'll have Hyper-Loops someday to speed around the state.

[@blakeloyd1]

@FromThe3PointLine it does suck, but makes sense

[@bagtea]

@@FromThe3PointLine Austin lowkey the best out of 3 cities. The only problem is, its super expensive for texas standards

[@TheWarrior1256]

I hope once BrightlineWest is finished in 5 years or so, this project will finally get more attention and financial backing.

[@edbutler5492]

Why are rural people fighting this you might ask? I sat in a meeting with a Grimes County Judge a few years ago, and it appears that when they (try to) build this railway that bisects a county, city, farm, community, etc. that there will be no way to get to the other side of the tracks. They propose the railway will be on a 30-foot-high mound of dirt with a fence/barrier at least 30 feet on either side with limited access to the other side of the tracks. So, farmers/ranchers/communities do not want their land cut in half and have to travel hundreds of miles out of the way that used to be only a couple of miles before the train. If they want this to go forward, they will need to make access thought-out the county they travel in completely accessible as it is now. And on a sides note, you might ask why the State of Texas has blocked some of the progress? Because the people have voted against it, so the company cannot get public money, cannot get eminent domain declared, it will not be funded by state or fed money and they have not raised the money needed to acquire the land they need. with the way they are proposing this train corridor by cutting a county it travels through in half, it will never go forward.

[@TheBitmess]

We don't want this train cutting through our community. Texans won't ride it because they still need a vehicle to get around once they get to Dallas or Houston. Local mass transit doesn't exist. It's putting the cart before the horse.

[@frijolex2509]

​@@TheBitmess I disagree. With the prevalence of ride share apps like Uber, if you're visiting a city whether for work, seeing friends, etc. Getting around is very easy.

[@gc2276]

That is because public transportation almost don't exist in many USA cities. I lived in Vancouver Canada and there is Sky Train trough all parts of city including airport. I can tell that is way more effective travel than car. It is faster, safer and cheaper in many cases. It doesn't obstruct traffic at all because it is above ground. So that could be done in Texas farm land and farmers still can use land under . It is build by American company Bombardier and I don't understand why same company cant do that here. Actually it is all political we know that.

[@timpetta2974]

@@gc2276 I think Bombardier is a Canadian company.

[@gc2276]

@@timpetta2974 You may be correct. that project did last for long time I think they started 30 years ago and many different companies did work on it. I know they did use some American company for concrete work.

[@michelramon5786]

If you build an HSR from Dallas to Houston, there will definitely be a lot of people who will opt for the trains, enough even to use one of the highway lines for BRTs or ARTs

[@f-86zoomer37]

The problem is not with the cities, but with the republican white farmers who simply need to move out of the way. Always count on white racist republican ruralites to stand in the way and impede progress. White texan farmers are literally peak white privilege: a tiny amount of people able to screw over the minorities they hate.

[@mikewalsh878]

LOL have you ever seen how many people actually ride the Trinity rail and they said the same thing you just said before they built it? You can count on one hand how many passengers are on that on any given time. Waste of our tax payer money.

[@f-86zoomer37]

@@mikewalsh878 LOL “waste of our taxpayer money” okay let’s keep adding lanes and parking lots in our cities instead of building actual housing and businesses so that white flight racists like you can park your climate change causing smokers for 7 hours and then leave without paying taxes to the city

[@justinr9753]

Come from Houston and commit crimes and leave. Just look what they were doing to people trying to restore the power.

[@vidpie]

@@mikewalsh878 I rode it some when I lived in Hurst. It was full at the typical rush hours.

[@gottfriedheumesser1994]

These two huge cities would benefit from more than one station, even when the speed of intra-city traffic is lower. There are some cities in Europe, where high-speed trains have more than one stop.

[@deemanDavid]

Yes but one needs to be downtown and the other in the dense suburbs. After 2 stops it starts slowing the train down too much

[@HardRockMaster7577]

Yep, but this is still the US... and federal funding of is limited... all that Defense Spending for us and our "friends."

[@gottfriedheumesser1994]

@@deemanDavid It may be correct but it depends on the town. A station at the airport often also makes sense. If you buy a flight ticket to Linz (Austria), the 'connection flight' from Vienna is performed by rail, and you 'land' nearby the center of Linz.

[@gottfriedheumesser1994]

@@HardRockMaster7577 Therefore public transport and other infrastructure are down in the USA.

[@moover123]

It happens where I live that the national train stops three times within 10 minutes and then doesn't stop within an hour. Guess who forgot to exit the train.

[@Hyperion1040]

Good luck Texas!

[@dallaslooksmaxxer3505]

We're gonna need luck with Amtrak working on this😂

[@Hyperion1040]

I live in EU and for us high speed railway is some sort of norm

[@arthurfoyt6727]

@@Hyperion1040 The EU is tiny, makes it easier.

[@danix4883]

@@Hyperion1040 You guys are lucky, I hope we get high speed rail in the USA, I HATE driving with a passion, it is extremely stressful and tiring

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

This high speed rail system is much needed! It cuts down travel time. On train, passengers can sit back, relax, browse the internet on phones/laptops. Business travelers can even do their work on a train, as they are on their way to their destination. It provides more options to get around. Electric trains produce zero emissions and helps removes gas cars off the high way, addressing climate change. Heck a lot of people would even travel to Texas for the experience! I know I would. This is a very exciting project that I fully support.

[@B-3490]

I disagree... Texas should abandon high-speed rail and instead to go with the newer maglev technology with the L0 train sets (Chou line) It'll probably cause five times as much and be over $200 billion (US) but it would really put America back on track with the rest of the world when it comes to infrastructure. 205 miles an hour on the N 700 traditional high-speed rail train sets is slow for Texas. Texas is almost completely flat and no tunneling is required, only (low) bridges. Texas should be pushing for 200 mph average speed with 275 mph top speeds for Maglev. Texas has more than enough solar and other energy sources to power the line cleanly

[@johnfrank6112]

The question is not the travel time but what the transfer transportation is to your final destination. After Houston drops your ass in an abandoned mall out side of the beltway, you will not be so enthusiastic.

[@arresthillary9502]

you support the project? lmao well thats settled. start building

[@arresthillary9502]

@@johnfrank6112 truth

[@SquirrelRocket]

@@johnfrank6112 Not outside of the Beltway, at 290 and 610, 10 minutes from downtown. A whole 30 minutes closer than the airport. Also, yeah, they're going to just bust down a wall of an old mall and run a track inside, pretty sure that is going to be the final product.

[@DrThunder7775]

I hope this is built soon, I’m sick of the drive on I45… just put a Buc-ees at each station…

[@nolasensation25]

This is extremely long overdue. I just hope that people whose land will be used will be accommodated fairly

[@catecarter680]

When I was in the 4th grade, I did a current event report on the high speed rail they were about to build in Texas. I turn 50 this year 😂. I'll believe it when the first train leaves the station.

[@tonydeleon5029]

Every year on July 30th, I drive up to Dallas from Houston for a 2 day training that our school district puts on for its educational diagnosticians. This chartered school has locations between the 2 cities. This journey takes time, money, and staff away from their individual school program for much longer than is necessary if the trip could be completed in a fraction of the time utilizing high-speed rail transportation. I hope this time it gets completed.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

So... cutting the drive from 3.5 hours down to 2.5 one time a year makes sense?

[@dylanst3802]

I literally saw a video of a Texas farmer saying it makes more sense to add another lane to the highway instead of the high-speed rail😂😂😂

[@maly2ts408]

Yeah , then that will be full it has been proved

[@timco5387]

@@maly2ts408 Because of population growth, yes. More population needs more capacity, whether it be roads, water, electricity, housing, food, or anything else.

[@aaroncabello8221]

@@timco5387 that is true, but the fact is that adding more lanes to the roads doesn't do much as it just makes congestion worse and pollution worse, whereas mass transit would make things better because that means you can transport more people using less room

[@ApatLang]

​@@timco5387 not necessarily - it's called induced demand. Building more lanes encourages people to move out further from their destinations. The problem has always been that getting on a 24 lane hwy is your only option in Texas "cities".

[@brandondaniels1608]

Except the people these planners are aiming this project at won't use it. Idk if you've ever been to DFW or Houston, but unless you plan on staying very close to either station, you're going to have to spend hundreds on ride shares or a car rental if you plan on getting around. It's far easier and more economical for most people to just drive the 3 hours between DFW and Houston and already have their own transportation once they get there

[@vickymizell2443]

As a native Houstonian I drive to DFW four times a year to visit my sister. I dread the drive! Unfortunately at age 70 I doubt I will ever get a ride on a high speed train.

[@Daveomabegin]

Houston and Dallas alone have more people than many European countries, so this definitely makes sense in terms of population. I think they should shift the route to the interstate however, and build it like Brightline West. Then you wouldn't have to worry as much about land acquisition.

[@tylerhamilton2758]

They also need more light rail in the city of Houston (& Dallas) to connect to the HSR station. To have it in the NW part of the city with no way to get there besides driving or bus (which is dangerous in Houston) kinda defeats the purpose. I live in the far north part of Houston (Montgomery County) near I-45 and we’ve been asking for this for a long time. I’ve ridden the HSR in Japan and it’s so efficient and effortless, a great experience. One other issue that arises is the cost to go from Houston to Dallas. If it isn’t affordable then people won’t take it. Amtrak is already expensive to take (depending on the line). Brightline is “okay” priced but can be expensive based on the time. I also don’t trust Amtrak or TXDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) to be on time, cost efficient, and ever get it done. Both companies are diseases to the areas and take forever to do simple things.

[@tylerhamilton2758]

@@blupupher exactly. Dallas has *some* public rail transportation, but unless you’re staying in the downtown area around the station then you’ll need additional means to move around. I don’t know if you’ve ridden the Brightline in Miami, but when I lived there it was fairly efficient and convenient. If this proposal is anything like that then it *may* be worth it. But this would really just serve downtown Houston people. Which is dumb to not have connecting lines to get there because Houston is a suburban metroplex, not a place where most people live downtown… This price tag to build it is way too high to attract lower-middle, middle, and lower class citizens to take because they’ll price tickets too high to try to recoup the cost. It’ll eventually just fade out cause of it. If this proposal was planned to be completed before World Cup 2026, then it’d get a lot of use, but I doubt it ever gets done.

[@314jrock]

15:19 That's an easy fix. All they have to do is create an express bus line that goes from the city center to the station. Also, people can take Uber and Lyft to the train station. The same people who complain about this are the same people who drive to the airport even though they can take mass transportation to the airport.

[@common_c3nts]

It is so stupid to have to touch a bus to take the train. They should have made the train go all the way to downtown. Their plan is a joke. No one wants to end at 610/290. They have the corridor to make the station at POST houston.

[@Lyenati]

@@common_c3nts No it's not. Building a high speed rail line directly into downtown would be even more expensive. You expect them to start bulldozing high rises? Just take the 10 minute bus ride, it's not too hard.

[@Will.Power55]

@@Lyenati Have you been to Houston? It would take wayyy longer than 10 minutes to get from 610/290 to downtown 😂

[@Lyenati]

@@Will.Power55 not if you have dedicated bus lanes

[@tommoore2012]

@@Will.Power55 Not nearly as long as it would take driving to Dallas.

[@thegreencouchshow4029]

As a strong Dallasite, I strongly support this. Going to work every day to Houston!

[@arthurfoyt6727]

It's the 21'st century and many jobs are shifting to online. People are now "working in Houston" from Denver. These projects become less important as time moves on...

[@Ace-002]

@@arthurfoyt6727 Not just for work but what about family, tourist or people simply want to go to the next city as fast as possible? Also getting people like elders and bad drivers off the road and lowering the high number of accidents we currently have in this state.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

@@Ace-002Half a billion dollars, for a tourist ride? Bad drivers will no longer want to drive? LOL, dream on.

[@thegreencouchshow4029]

@@arthurfoyt6727 In a state of of 28 millions, I believe we need this given the distance anyway. You might have two stores in both cities you can navigate between. Rail will never grow old no matter the era.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

@@thegreencouchshow4029 " I believe we need this" does not match up with market realities. If we really needed it, we would already have it and would be willing to pay the actual cost of it in tickets to support it. Rail is old tech. Personally I just pull my plane out of the hangar if I want to go to DFW or KSAT quickly.

[@johnmrevell]

As a Brit who worked as a manager for Network Rail in the UK I love railways. Having said that this high speed rail idea is not suitable or needed in Texas. A cost of $30 billion for a dedicated route that only serves two cities and will have a limited number of trains each way per day is a collosal waste of money. I live just outside Houston and drive to Dallas periodically and would never consider train or air as both are more hassle than contending with I45. What would I do on arrival in Dallas - either hire a car or take a taxi to my destination(s), all adding time and hassle to the journey. It is much easier to just drive in my own car, take colleagues with me and have the flexibility to change plans and move around my destination. In Europe distances are short, major cities are often with 50 miles of each other and rail can make sense. Even there, it often requires massive state subsidy to exist (French Railways) and I do not believe tax payers should fund a service that is expensive at point of use and primarily benefits the well off. In the UK, high speed passenger and freight share the same rails and utilization is mostly at 100% capacity. Even then government subsidy is needed as countless private firms hoping to make a buck have failed or had their franchises removed for failing to deliver. $30 billion would not just revolutionise I45 but go a long way to funding other much needed road improvements thereby benefitting the largest number of people.

[@jem77469]

You're making perfect sense. I'm so glad the state of Texas prohibited the use of public funds for this project. I suspect the private investors are well aware the project is an economic loser. They're angling for those sweet, sweet, federal subsidies and now they have Amtrak's attention - a pity.

[@dirkmoore4224]

I agree with you 100%, it will only go forward if its taxpayer funded. Amtrac knows it would be a money pit.

[@blupupher]

Totally agree. If I were to go to Dallas (which I never do) I can get in my car and be there in about 4 hours from the time I leave my driveway in far west Houston (actually would drive up Hwy 6 to I-35). I leave at 7am and would be there by 11am. Cost is about $40 each way depending on price of gas and which vehicle I bring. If I were to take the train, I would need to drive on the Katy Freeway to the station on 290 and 610, minimum of 30 minutes with no traffic (ha, that never happens), but more likely at least 45 minutes to an hour. And I guess I will have to pay for parking? Then another what, 30 minutes to get into the station and pass through TSA (yes, there will be a TSA line, which will mean the same restrictions on firearms, knives and such) and if timed right, 10 minutes or so till next train. Then 90 minutes to Dallas,. But when I get there, I still need a car, so off to the car rental office that adds another 30 minutes). So best case I can be in Dallas in just over 2.5 hours (probably closer to 3.5 hours in reality) hours from when I leave my driveway and be driving to where ever I am going in Dallas, but unarmed and costing more money. Only people that will take this train are those that already go to between Houston and Dallas by plane for business. Will do nothing to reduce congestion. Problem is you have too many people in a European or Asian mindset thinking that trains will work, but they just won't. The US (and especially Texas) is just too car-centric. We like our cars, and most don't mind driving them. Public transportation is abysmal in Texas, and the above is part of the reason, as is just the overall urban sprawl of DFW and Houston (and pretty much all Texas cities).

[@AR-mc8mn]

Get out of here with your logic and reason. I agree with you 100% For a fraction of the price they could revolutionize the road system and have dedicated lanes for freight (18 wheelers) and express busses like vonlane and megabus. Keep the big slow vehicles separate from the passenger cars.

[@drakefernandez1361]

I think the idea is that once you get to Dallas you would use the public transit there to get to your destination. This would increase usage of the existing public transit infrastructure, which should prompt the city to continue improving it. This project definitely wouldn't solve everything by itself, but may be a necessary step in the right direction.

[@TruFinancials]

I love that we seem to be on track (pun intended) for a train-focused area in the US! For those who think it's a waste of time & money, think of all the open roads you'll get with so many taking the train. Less traffic for those who don't want to use the train. Freedom in choice of travel is a big win for all!

[@markanderson4163]

removing a few hundred cars a day from I-45 will have zero impact...most of the issues with this stretch of highway are a result of lack of police enforcement...the crazyass Texas drivers are the main issue..

[@honeytgb]

If not for the NIMBYs we would have been further along on HSR in this country.

[@tommoore2012]

Sort of. HSR in Texas was almost a thing during 1989. Everything was good to go in terms of funding, government approval, etc. However, somehow agains the absurdity of it all, the airline companies managed to convince Texas farmers that a HSR would make their cows run dry. And enough of them rallied against the construction before it started the project got cancelled.

[@dcmiguel7777]

@@tommoore2012airlines like SW see it as a threat to their profit margins

[@honeytgb]

@@tommoore2012 frickin' lobbying!

[@OldManHistory]

@@honeytgb Maybe a compromise would be to run it next to existing rail lines or even replace parts of existing rail lines? ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/tpp/maps/texas-railroad-map.pdf

[@Celtic-Texan]

If it weren't for NIMBY's every square foot of American soil would be paved over. Property rights must always be respected, imminent domain should be rarely used.

[@jj78rcclub]

I drive to Dallas every 2 weeks for the last 7 years. I really really need this ASAP! Please hurry up!

[@blueeyes1464]

As a Texan, We are more likely to secede from the US(which is impossible) than we are to build a rail system connecting the two cities together.

[@bethyborin8038]

This will be amazing ! I lived in Japan and Europe, and a project like this can make life so much easier and fun. More people will travel.🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@skychief7716]

I’m a Texan and a Houstonian - 38 years worth. I’d love having high speed rail all over the Texas Triangle. Into New Orleans and OK City too. It would be great to arrive where I’m going without the hassle of road construction on I-45, I-10, or I-35, dodging big trucks, or avoiding the Road Rage Ralphs. Bring on the trains!!!

[@maxmaxed2887]

As a long time Texan what will you do once you arrive to downtown Dallas on that train? And your car is back in Houston?

[@skychief7716]

@@maxmaxed2887 Easy answer… Get an Uber or a taxi. I’ve been to Dallas so many times I’m quite familiar with its streets around town, in town, between towns, and getting to DFW. Any hack or Uber driver taking me as a fool for a joyride may not get paid in full. And they definitely won’t get any tip. Thanks for asking.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

So.... first off, you CAN'T have these into downtown areas. Unless I've forgotten, that;s where all the big expensive buildings are in the way. Secondly, you have a limited capacity train that, when running, means no other train can come the other way. How will a train move enough people to make it worthwhile?

[@skychief7716]

@@maxmaxed2887Take a taxi. Take Uber. Or even get a rental car. Not so hard. 😊

[@skychief7716]

⁠@@arthurfoyt6727 And your point is??? It sounds like you’ve never ridden a commuter train. I’ve done it dozens of times between D.C. and Boston. I enjoy trains because I can sit back without any hassles driving; no weather worries, no trucks, no road construction (for the 38 years I’ve lived here one part or another of I-45 has always been under construction making it lane after lane wider. I-45 only goes from Dallas to Galveston.), no traffic accidents, and no road raging idiots, to list just a few benefits. Listen to the video again. Houston’s station isn’t planned for downtown so X-out big buildings. The same for Dallas - no big buildings. About your second point - one train at a time. The video says at peak time trains will run every 30 minutes, and 60 minutes the rest of the time. Obviously Texas Central will be a double-tracked layout. We might as well get it built now at $30B because soon it will be $45B++. Additionally, high speed rail is faster, more convenient, and easier than air travel. Texans don’t measure travel by miles. We measure travel by time. It’s now past time for high speed rail in Texas. And for all the USA too. I welcome your response to my comments.

[@mileshigh1321]

Projects like this make too much sense! That is why they spend decades talking about them, then doing nothing! It's Texas too, so if it does not involve OIL they are not interested anyway!

[@johnfrank6112]

Do you have a clue where the end terminals are and how you get transport from the terminals to anywhere?

[@WYO_Dirtbag]

Except Texas has the MOST wind energy of any other state. It has more wind than most countries.

[@aaronhoosiershrm-cpphr8362]

There's a lot of people in Texas myself included that are very excited about this project.

[@miles5600]

That’s not the reason why. Yes the debating stretches the process, but it’s mostly due to insufficient federal funding and having to buy a homeowner’s land.

[@johnfrank6112]

@@aaronhoosiershrm-cpphr8362 So answer the question, where are the end terminals to be located.? Houston has already said an abandoned mall outside the loop. How do you get from outside the loop to wherever? The Dallas terminal will be South of downtown Dallas. How do you get to wherever?

[@flickr4jazz]

You know if they "say" the cost will be $30B, it will cost almost twice as much.

[@dgart7434]

*at least twice as much.

[@user-qo4kb4dr1i]

still a good deal. Road budgets constantly cost 3x more than planned

[@AR-mc8mn]

@@user-qo4kb4dr1i Agreed, but still roads are only a fraction of the cost per mile vs. train

[@gayorsomethingidk553]

​@@AR-mc8mnA way the cost could be decreased is by using the budget for building/upgrading highways (which only upgrade capacity, it doesn't decrease traffic) to use more of the budget we already have. But we would still have to get additional funding to make the highspeed rail. It's an interesting proposal and with politicians planning on repairing/replacing a bunch of old infrastructure soon, HSR might be included for some major cities.

[@nicksurface3513]

You mean 5 times as much.

[@_diogenes1]

I just drive this route from Gavelston for a cruise. Cruises will invest in this as a major increase in travel - can’t wait for this service!

[@yallik154]

I'm not going to guess whether this will actually happen in texas. But if it does actually happen in Texas, then it will happen everywhere.

[@AR-mc8mn]

Impactful tech and societal norms that could lower the demand for trains: - Autonomous vehicles (personally owned and rentable) - the autonomous cars can form car trains and interact with each other in such a way that it reduces traffic snarls - Battery tech that removes range anxiety will reduce the argument that trains reduce pollution vs cars. Of course there is the argument that the pollution just moves to the power generation plant or manufacturing/recycling of the battery - Continued push for more work from home an virtual work, reduce travel demand

[@ianhayes5140]

Australia has been contemplating building a high speed railway between Sydney and Melbourne for years and we have a quarter of the population in those cities as Dallas and Houston and we have a mountain range to get through (albeit it’s more like the Appalachian’s than the Rockies but nevertheless it’s not flat land). So if Texas can’t manage to get this running, what hope has Australia got.

[@JupMasterG]

Who actually knows if this project will ever start or actually be built. Literally every year for the past 10-15 years, the same outlets put out the same exact articles and videos over and over again about this train. Copy and paste. Just to get our hopes up. I’d love to actually see it happen, it would be incredible for the infrastructure and economy in Houston/Dallas. Nothing against MegaBuilds, I love this channel.

[@Sacto1654]

With Amtrak now involved, there's a chance the original modified N700S train sets may not be used. We may end up with Siemens _Velaro_ train sets upgraded to run at speeds up to 320 km/h (199 mph), especially since the train sets could be built at the same time as the planned train sets for the California HSR system at Siemens Mobility's Sacramento, California assembly line.

[@adamhugel6992]

Maybe the Alstom train set types that are already ordered for the new Acela will be used…

[@cornkopp2985]

The japanese government has shown interest in the project so I think there could be some diplomatic deals going on in terms of actually using shinkansen trainsets

[@davidjackson7281]

@@adamhugel6992 Haven't those and other Alstom train sets been having problems and snafus for years now that haven't been fixed yet?

[@davidjackson7281]

Yes American-made Siemens is the correct choice just as BLW recently made vs. foreign-made Shinkansen Japanese. However l do not understand how exactly Amtrak can help.

[@ベン-q6u]

@@davidjackson7281but Siemens is German so it would be made by a German Company

[@gabingston3430]

I would love if this was built, but I'm not betting on it ever happening. If it does, it'll be in 20 years with a price tag over a hundred billion.

[@Aggie4life77]

It absolutely makes sense! Also, why are they worrying about people renting cars when they arrive? I actually think they should open a rental car station similiar to the airport. Also add a pickup area for Uber, etc. Dallas has Dart. They could tie that into the station!

[@kiddadd]

Dart is terrible and not efficient.

[@Aggie4life77]

@@kiddadd Bro, don’t nobody want to hear about all of that. Dallas is no NY. The only reason I mentioned Dart was because it could get you out of the train station to other locations. Basically another option. Nothing more, nothing less. Most people will either rent a car or Uber!

[@wrux]

I used to work in China and their high speed rail network is seriously impressive. If USA had a high speed network anywhere near as good as China then it would be an absolutely amazing way to see the country. Imagine getting on a train in the morning in NYC's Grand Central station and being in LA in the evening.

[@secondpulse5728]

Awesome Video as always 🎉

[@kenpumford754]

I spent a 30 year career at one of the Big 3 automakers, but I'm still enthusiastic about this proposed train line. Cars and trains can coexist and both serve useful and complimentary functions. Europe, China, and Japan are all examples of regions or countries where huge automotive industries and extensive high speed rail networks thrive side by side. As long as I have sight and sense I plan to own cars, but at the same time I'd gladly take a train from Metro Detroit to Chicago, or Dallas to Houston, to avoid the awful road congestion and high parking fees in the city center.

[@blitz0728]

I’d love to see it happen

[@JoeFeser]

This is why I hang on to my 2017 Civic. It will be a long long time.

[@robertpowell2537]

I drive a semi, everyday, from Dallas to Houston, and back. If a bullet train pulls a few hundred cars off the road, it would help.

[@robertpowell2537]

I know my rep in Navarro County is against it, the eminent domain factor, that is.

[@robertpowell2537]

Jake Ellzey, it's really the only thing I disagree with you about. Uproot I-45, to expand it, from Richland to Huntsville, which is already a wreck.

[@robertpowell2537]

How about require the high speed rail be raised all the way, to reduce the footprints of eminent domain?

[@sergiorodriguez6882]

Why hasn't this been done yet? I drive to Dallas from Houston once a month, this would be a God send.

[@teekev125]

First, I hope this happens, but I am not sure it makes sense. I live in one of the northern suburbs of Houston. When I visit my son in North Dallas, it takes about 3.5 hours to get there. On a holiday weekend, it can take up to 4.5 hours. From where I live to the proposed Houston station, it will take about 45 minutes to get there or as much as 1:15 during rush hour. I will need to arrive at the train station at least 30 minutes before departure to allow time to park and get on the train. If the train is on schedule, the trip will take 90 minutes. Once I get to Dallas, I will have to rent a car to finish driving to my son's house, which will take another hour. You must consider that mass transit is limited in Houston and Dallas. By my estimate, it will take upwards of 4 hours to get to my son's house if I go by train, plus I will have the expense of 2 train tickets and a rental car. I just can't see that being less expensive than 1.5 tanks of gas. For the train to be successful, it must make economic sense to take the train.

[@JTN-f1p]

Just because it wouldn't help your very specific individual situation doesn't mean it wouldn't be great. Not everyone lives an hour from the station in Houston and is going to visit their son who's an hour away from the station in Dallas. I don't live far from where the station would likely be in Houston and would not be going to visit a son in north Dallas. I might be taken right to the area where I need to be, or within a 15 minute Uber ride. Not to mention, there's stress involved in driving, wear and tear on your car, etc. So don't say "it doesn't make sense." It may not make sense for your very specific situation, but not everyone will have your very specific situation.

[@cloudkitt]

Sounds like Houston and Dallas should improve their mass transit, then.

[@1000rogueleader]

This would be no different than someone taking a plane to Houston from Dallas, and having to get on a bus or rent a car. Same situation. Only the train would almost certainly be cheaper than flying, and you wouldn't have to go through tedious airport security.

[@GreatWhiteWeasel]

I drive from Houston to Dallas twice a month. I would 💯 use this.

[@ameykulkarni6460]

The new Mumbai Ahmedabad HSR (MAHSR) would run on the similar Shinkansen technology with E5 train sets with headway of just 15-30 min. It would be 508 KM ie 316 miles. The speed would be 320 km/hr ie 200 miles per hr.

[@CarmenRZ]

Yeah, sure. Right thru the slums😂

[@shamikbera9617]

@@CarmenRZWow your so funny

[@helloworld-hx3gz]

​@@CarmenRZ You live there right

[@davidjackson7281]

Soon l hope

[@Amoghavarsha.]

​@@CarmenRZI will see homeless people's country murica ever get a HSR in my lifetime

[@kurtgandenberger6139]

in 2008 california started dreaming of such a system. it was supposed to cost $35 billion. now it will take another $100 billion in cost over-runs, legal fees, etc. and still no one is riding high speed rails 16 years later. i hope texas can do it better and i am sure they can.

[@aburetik4866]

I'm a time traveller from 2100. Americans are still working on this project in 2100.

[@josenietoalvarez2408]

Don't forget that Spain has the largest train network in the world after China. Likewise, TALGO turned 80 years old, it has been the fader of all bullet trains, which the Japanese based on in 1962 to create their Shinkansen. and France to create the TGV.

[@Coach_G_high_desert_CA]

One thing this message NOT comparing is, in those other countries, the government (fed) were in control of the project, similar to our interstate highway program here in USA. IF we were to attack this rail problem like the highway system, there would be high speed rail now. California is an example of how not to run a project. But brightline, is currectly building a line from Las Vegas to south California which will be complete by 2027. It's over 250 miles of tracks. So please compare oranges to oranges next time. 🎉

[@maly2ts408]

How much did the highways cost to build & maintain

[@prdsatx4467]

I was in Japan recently and I was seriously impressed with the bullet train system, so much so that me and the wife were wondering why there isn't one in Texas. Now I know politics get in the way of every project, especially when it comes to transportation, but if we could somehow get past all that nonsense, we could definitely create a system that would connect all major cities in Texas. I would definitely spend money to take a train to Dallas from San Antonio within an hour and a half and just Uber my way through town for a day. As of now, we are expecting to make a trip to Dallas next week and I'm dreading the 4-5 hour car ride. Sure we will have our car, but that drive is horrible. I end up taking the toll road all the way there just to avoid i35. I'm hoping Texas would just smart up and adopt these trains. We need them.

[@gomezcreativemedia]

This project makes so much sense!!! #LETSGO!!!

[@HauntingWithZDog]

I'm a Texan and I absolutely hate driving to Austin from San Antonio. High speed rail is Definitely a thing i would take to get from one place to another. Especially if one day I have to go from San Antonio to Orlando, FL or New York, NY

[@orangeboy240]

The idea is great, but is way to fresh, if they want it to work, they should improve the metro railway in Houston or Dallas, not by only showing the efficency of the system, but a way to be interested in nore connectivity

[@domtweed7323]

@@orangeboy240 It makes sense to build high speed rail now, before land prices go up. The metros can be added later, cause the price of underground dirt won't change much.

[@maly2ts408]

One problem with this is too many NIMBY'S still you keep on polluting the enviroment.

[@orangeboy240]

@@domtweed7323 the metro doesn't necessary means to be underground, stations can be visible, also I forgot to say this ,metro (company) is the public transportation in Houston in which is kinda lack luster I doesn't have to many people using it, the only facility that it's used is the small train in downtown Houston.

[@orangeboy240]

@@maly2ts408 sorry but what's a NIMBY'S ?

[@ryanbartlett1148]

I feel like the Grimes County Station should simply be built in College Station to bring direct transit to Texas A&M, versus having to rely on a bus system. It feels like a half baked connection to College Station and Huntsville. They should fully bake one of the connections, and then rely on buses beyond that.

[@DonaldScott-m7r]

The US is way behind in high speed rail construction. We need high speed rail rather than more highway lanes or poluting airplanes. Look at the success of the Japanese and European systems. Hurry up, I’m 83 and want to ride from Houston to Dallas in my lifetime.

[@HardRockMaster7577]

I've always wondered why Eisenhower didn't factor in passenger rail lines to go beside his US Defense Highway System...

[@timothykeith1367]

The reason the US lacks bullet trains is because the cost is like an interstate highway but it would only be partially utilized, whereas an interstate highway can be used for freight 24 x 7. Too much empty "flyover" land. The much talked about Texas Triangle is only a ring, the interior is podunk with only Bryan-College Station having significant population. The Japanese bullet trains are big money losers - subsidized by tax payers.

[@timothykeith1367]

The reason the US lacks bullet trains is because the cost is like an interstate highway but it would only be partially utilized, whereas an interstate highway can be used for freight 24 x 7. Too much empty "flyover" land. The much talked about Texas Triangle is only a ring, the interior is podunk with only Bryan-College Station having significant population. The Japanese bullet trains are big money losers - subsidized by tax payers.

[@timothykeith1367]

The reason the US lacks bullet trains is because the cost is like an interstate highway but it would only be partially utilized, whereas an interstate highway can be used for freight 24 x 7. Too much empty "flyover" land. The much talked about Texas Triangle is only a ring, the interior is podunk with only Bryan-College Station having significant population. The Japanese bullet trains are big money losers - subsidized by tax payers.

[@AFlyingCookie2024]

China has more than the rest of the world combined and is more stable than the Japanese HSR. Not to mention subways

[@Jorge-e4c2l]

I've notice that emerging generations are more likely to seek the urban lifestyle vs the suburban lifestyle of us boomers. As a boomer, that was raised in Metro-Atlanta, Georgia, and a car guy, I agree. Due to Metro-Atlanta's infuriating traffic congestion, commutes are mind-numbing waste of time and money. The newest residential concept in Metro-Atlanta is multifamily, residences located within a mile of a MARTA rapid rail/bus station. The advantageous are numerous. Saving significant amounts of money that would have been wasted on an automobile and its associated costs of ownership is huge!!! Not only do you save precious time, but, it is time that could be converted into productively.

[@StylistecS]

Yeah boomers and older gen x are holding on to the suburban lifestyle spread out lifestyle. Young gen x and younger are way more open to urban living and as they generations pass, more and more will prefer the urban lifestyle. It makes more sense. Better for the environment. Better for finances in the long term. Better quality of life.

[@Celtic-Texan]

I'm Gen X, I want nothing to do with urban life. My Gen Z kids are mixed, they prefer to live suburb or even rural, but also like the trappings of some of the urban landscape.

[@StylistecS]

@@Celtic-Texan well of course not every generation is monolithic but a larger share of each generation prefers a walkable vibrant urban life.

[@Celtic-Texan]

@@StylistecS I have yet to walk a U.S. metro city that was "vibrant." Most of them I wanted to escape as quickly as possible from the homeless, stench, crime. If we could somehow mirror the urban life in Japan, which I lived for a decade, that would be pretty amazing, but they're a homogenous society with relatively no crime, and have been developing their version of effective city planning for a very long time.

[@StylistecS]

@@Celtic-Texan this is because we have turned our back on our cities here in the US. When they were walkable and vibrant, US cities were amongst the best in the world. NYC is the best the US has to offer by far and would be even better if we poured our resources into the city and our other cities like we should have. Instead now we have spread out soulless, charachterless, dead cities that are slowly rising from the dead thanks to the newer generations in particular Millenials and Gen Z.

[@choobie8486]

It would also be nice to have a direct stop in College Station, not only for convenience but also to pay homage to its history

[@JohnnyThunder-vz2st]

Could you do a video on the Alberta high speed rail? It’s going to connect Edmonton, redeer and Calgary.

[@chuckinhouston9952]

You can imagine my excitement!

[@alexsundara5546]

Yes we should build a nice High Speed Train from Dallas to Houston here

[@chuckinhouston9952]

Would it stop at Buc-ee’s?

[@Mikemk_]

30ish miles away

[@kenbrohere]

Bucees would have a Bucees car attached to it.

[@kenbrohere]

​@@Mikemk_he means the one in Madisonville.

[@Mikemk_]

@@kenbrohere So do I, thank you. One of the midway stops listed is 30 miles from that Buccees

[@atexcan3243]

What is the point of this rail link if you can't load your vehicle on it and then drive your car in Dallas or Houston once you arrive?

[@jerryrichardson2799]

I'll believe it when I see it. There's _no_ way tickets can be cheap enough to make a difference for most people without _massive_ subsidies. Of course, a lot of business people can write off the expense, but will that be enough to make the project viable? I seriously doubt it. The biggest cheerleaders for this project are the Dallas convention, tourism, and visitors people, bet on it.

[@samtrak1204]

Thank you for excellent presentation.

[@harrydent8182]

As soon as I saw that Amtrak were doing this, I thought "never gonna happen"

[@armandovera2304]

I agree. It should go to the private sector.

[@davidanalyst671]

@@armandovera2304 they tried that for 10 years.

[@JohnSmith-cn4cw]

@@armandovera2304 private sector isn't that stupid when its their own money on the line.

[@BubbaPat]

Connecting the major cities via rail would be AMAZING!! The environmental impact for the long term is the best for Texas. Farm land could be used for farming rather than new subdivisions of homes. The safety factor along the highways is another item. Seeing fewer fatal accidents is needed.

[@HULKBIGHEAD]

We need to strive for 300-plus MPH trains and become world leaders in the train system.

[@davidjackson7281]

Most hsr city pair lines shall be less than 300 miles so an average speed of 100 mph would be the way to value engineer. With periodic station stops a top speed over 300 kph, let alone 300 mph, would be overkill. Think BLW's smart business-like approach instead.

[@tommoore2012]

@@davidjackson7281 Good observation. But if it gets to the point where HSR connects much of America a 300mph train would be much more advantageous.

[@davidjackson7281]

@@tommoore2012 Thanx. 1st things 1st. Perfect is the enemy of good.

[@nf7172]

Traveled all over Japan on the Shinkansen and love it. I live in the metroplex. Hope this will become a reality.

[@cratecruncher4974]

Imagine 90 minutes to Dallas where you have no automobile. Just take the subway...🤣

[@johnfrank6112]

There's no subway and never will be a subway, on either end.

[@BenriBea]

@@johnfrank6112 dart exists

[@johnfrank6112]

@@BenriBea to where?

[@StoovTV]

All im gonna say is I hope they actually do it to completion. The Highspeed rail that was suppose to go from SF to LA was progressing well till it was mismanaged and ran well over budget. It died like half way and never got finished

[@vicsrealms]

That is my worry. After the whole mess with the freeze last year, that took our power offline. I don't have a lot of trust that this won't get mismanaged at some point. Someone from the Texas government needs to be there to put boot to rear throughout the entire process.

[@StoovTV]

power grid would need to be addressed for sure. Wind power seems to not be working as hoped and has some nasty drawbacks. Granted, freezes dont happen too often but when they do... Going heavier into coal/natural gas seems to not be ideal these days but perhaps Texas could go more into Nuclear. Currently Nuclear produces about 9% of the grid's use. Maybe bump that up to 15-20%?

[@mbaktari8194]

As TEXAN and railfans , I worry that NXT ADMINISTRATION won't continue backing this project....

[@Ayousuf1944]

Yes we need this high speed train Texan you’re way behind the world open your eyes

[@towritemichelle210]

Lets start with Austin-San Antonio leg

[@scottkessel952]

Feel like drive form Austin to Dallas is faster than drive to San Antonio

[@bagtea]

austin san antonio is pretty close..doesnt need high speed railway

[@davidjackson7281]

Waco to El Paso

[@tranquil14738]

@@bagteayou have no idea

[@DanielWatson-vv7cd]

We need a high speed rail line going from San Antonio to Dallas.

[@marioavgherino8383]

The U.S. is not Japan. The Japanese rail system is not just bullet trains (Shinkansen) it is a vast network that spreads the cost of operating the system over a very large number of riders. In addition, the cost of owning and operating a private automobile in Japan is very expensive compared to the U.S. The cultural differences between the two countries are also in favor of Japan where individuality is not as important as in the U.S. and therefore being a team player for the good of the nation is very ingrained. Lastly, will the high speed rail be connected to a proper mass transit system like the NYC subway, that would allow passengers to get to their final destination easily? I don't think either Dallas or Houston have such a mass transit system. One additional observation, why is this proposed high speed rail system not a straight line between the two cities? 30 billion dollars equals 120 million per mile, so instead of 250 miles following the interstate route why not 200 miles in a straight line. That would save 6 billion dollars!!!

[@Celtic-Texan]

You're spot on with the cultural comparisons, I lived in Japan for a decade and go back all the time, I know both worlds intimately. As for the straight line, that was always one of the proposals, but the follow the interstate option has primarily been favored due to logistics of proximity to existing infrastructure and services. Also, land procurement is difficult enough along established corridors, but getting more rural communities and farmers buy in further away will be an even harder sell. As much as I think the straight line is logical, I'm a land rights person as well, I own a large tract of land in the middle of nowhere, and would be beyond pissed if all the sudden Texas wanted to force a major vehicle corridor smack in the middle of my property.

[@blackvelvetrhapsody6391]

Spot on. Both Japanese and Chinese cultures are driven by collective thinking. Nature is exemplary of its utility. America put men on the moon yet people say high speed rail cannot be put in Texas. Competent planners are capable of resolving property issues for all stakeholders. Other countries choose to imagine a more efficient future and so should America.

[@jonathanolson9425]

I want this so much. Only people it would be bad for is Buccees owners and mid size towns in between. I think it would only decongest the roads by 30% as cars are needed to get around these sprawling cities.

[@dinkleberg93]

This is the wake up call America needs.

[@arresthillary9502]

says who? dinkleberry?

[@JohnSmith-cn4cw]

It was answered, California has taken the lead in HSR construction. We all view in awe of their magnificence.

[@williamfarr8807]

As one who lives in Houston and drives to the Dallas/Fort Worth area two or three times a year my question is: if I take a train to Dallas, what do I do in Dallas without a car? Perhaps if the train could take cars between the cities at high speed and a price competitive with a tank of gas, maybe.

[@filmsbyfabe5483]

That’s not Dallas’ population, that’s the DFW metroplex population…..

[@davidanalyst671]

its all just a bunch of douchebags up there, and theres nothing to see except a small part of fort worth that is culturally the opposite of dallas.

[@terencewilliams7509]

That's not even accurate for the metro. We are at 8 million now and due to hit pass 10 mili around the year 2030.

[@filmsbyfabe5483]

@@terencewilliams7509 Honestly fair, but I was referencing the fact that he labeled “Dallas” having a population of 6+ million. When it reality the actual city is closer to ~1.3 million

[@Ace-002]

@@filmsbyfabe5483exactly they always add Fort Worth to surpass Houston numbers lol

[@johnmd4331]

Dallas-Houston-Austin - San Antonio, if Texas can make this happen, it will be groundbreaking!!

[@soar011belize]

Public transportation/infrastructure doesn’t exist in Texas. The people who run that state made it that way (No car no service)