JamesWhitcombRiley
Lead Service Attendant
JR Central is the same company that proposed paying for Baltimore-Washington Maglev, as a first step to Northeast Maglev. The associated organization in the US wrote the Tier 1 environmental proposal, but then the cities did a turnaround and decided to stop it.
Big picture, since the five-year IIJA became law two years ago, pro-rail regions in anti-rail-funding states have spoken up, communicating directly with the FRA at DOT, it seems: northeast Ohio; Mobile, Alabama (the only state not contributing to the new Gulf Coast service); and the DFW Metroplex. The Heartland Flyer is supported by Texas and Oklahoma though. When you're in Houston you can't believe how limited Amtrak is, and the DFW is now bigger. The video I'm about to mention says the DFW will grow by 50% by the time it's feasible this stuff will be built (I forget what year he said).
The High Speed Rail Alliance youtube channel does a good job with presentations by and questions for officials. The most recent one interviewed the head of the DFW metropolitan organization, which primarily wants true HSR from Fort Worth to Dallas, wrapped up in rebuilding the 1/3 of the interstate highway that needs it. Expensive, elevated. They suggest scrapping the old Texas Triangle proposal for HSR (Houston, San Antonio, DFW), and instead building the Texas T-bone: Fort Worth to Dallas to Houston, with a branch at College Station for San Antonio and Laredo. This means no route directly south from Fort Worth. I don't know how much of the same information is available as a PDF, such as the powerpoint he runs through, but the questions at the end are good too.
Brightline has been practical about costs and using the government. I doubt it has the resources to get involved in Texas, but it is interesting that BL Florida really needed to max out at 125mph max diesel to get it done. On the other hand HSR to from SoCal to Las Vegas is one place a highway median alignment is rather affordable. Roaming Railfan did a flyover of that route, and the very few exits on the highway have nothing there, except in one small city. By contrast the highway running in Florida required a lot of highway exit reconstruction, two tunnels, and one long bridge over I-95. Whether a 125mph diesel service from DFW to Houston would be viable, who knows. Or electrified semi-HSR.
The High Speed Rail Alliance youtube channel has a better presentation by the head of NCDOT Rail: the schedule for the S-line in NC and VA (operation in early 2031), and other matters far and wide. He even states how many people work at NCDOT Rail, and how many consultants. Quite a good presentation.
Big picture, since the five-year IIJA became law two years ago, pro-rail regions in anti-rail-funding states have spoken up, communicating directly with the FRA at DOT, it seems: northeast Ohio; Mobile, Alabama (the only state not contributing to the new Gulf Coast service); and the DFW Metroplex. The Heartland Flyer is supported by Texas and Oklahoma though. When you're in Houston you can't believe how limited Amtrak is, and the DFW is now bigger. The video I'm about to mention says the DFW will grow by 50% by the time it's feasible this stuff will be built (I forget what year he said).
The High Speed Rail Alliance youtube channel does a good job with presentations by and questions for officials. The most recent one interviewed the head of the DFW metropolitan organization, which primarily wants true HSR from Fort Worth to Dallas, wrapped up in rebuilding the 1/3 of the interstate highway that needs it. Expensive, elevated. They suggest scrapping the old Texas Triangle proposal for HSR (Houston, San Antonio, DFW), and instead building the Texas T-bone: Fort Worth to Dallas to Houston, with a branch at College Station for San Antonio and Laredo. This means no route directly south from Fort Worth. I don't know how much of the same information is available as a PDF, such as the powerpoint he runs through, but the questions at the end are good too.
Brightline has been practical about costs and using the government. I doubt it has the resources to get involved in Texas, but it is interesting that BL Florida really needed to max out at 125mph max diesel to get it done. On the other hand HSR to from SoCal to Las Vegas is one place a highway median alignment is rather affordable. Roaming Railfan did a flyover of that route, and the very few exits on the highway have nothing there, except in one small city. By contrast the highway running in Florida required a lot of highway exit reconstruction, two tunnels, and one long bridge over I-95. Whether a 125mph diesel service from DFW to Houston would be viable, who knows. Or electrified semi-HSR.
The High Speed Rail Alliance youtube channel has a better presentation by the head of NCDOT Rail: the schedule for the S-line in NC and VA (operation in early 2031), and other matters far and wide. He even states how many people work at NCDOT Rail, and how many consultants. Quite a good presentation.
