Dallas-Houston Bullet Train Project to be Built in Central Texas

Texas Central is working on actualizing the development plans for its proposed US$ 20bn Dallas-Houston bullet train project, which has been stalled for almost a decade, due to the opposition of private landowners in the rural areas of Central Texas.

The Dallas-Houston bullet train is intended to connect Dallas and Houston through a rail line system, which would enable high-speed trains to travel at over 200 mph and reduce travel time to 90 minutes for a journey that would normally be four hours drive by car.

Texas Central is yet to receive its pre-construction contracts, but once this stage is finalized, the company estimates that it will take between five to six years for the rail system to be built.

Also Read California High Speed Rail (CHSR) Project Updates

Challenges stalling the Dallas-Houston bullet train project

According to Texas Central, over 600 parcels of land have been acquired, which is approximately 40% of the parcels needed to build the Dallas-Houston bullet train project, including the sites for the train stations in Dallas, Houston, and the Brazos Valley.

Unfortunately, the company faced difficulties convincing the remaining private landowners and this resulted in lawsuits that halted the project’s progress for several years. However, in 2020 Texas’ 13th Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Texas Central, allowing them to make use of the eminent domain law to seize the properties, which were needed to build the Dallas-Houston bullet train route.

The company said eminent domain would only be used as a last resort and it would ensure that disruptions to landowners are minimized during the construction phase, by using public rights-of-way guidelines and existing utility corridors as much as possible.

Texas Central still has one major hurdle left to cross, which in its application to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), a federal agency that has jurisdiction over the railway construction. According to Congressman Kevin Brady, this permitting process is quite arduous and could take several years.

Expectations and the project team

The Dallas-Houston bullet train project is expected to generate about 17,000 direct jobs during its 6-year construction phase, with over 20,000 supply chain jobs, and more than 1,400 direct permanent employment opportunities, after the train becomes fully operational. The project will also make use of $7.3 billion worth of materials and have an economic impact of about $36 billion on the region.

Companies selected by Texas Central for the Dallas-Houston bullet train project include the Italy-based Webuild Group, which will be in charge of handling all construction work on top of the rail, which also includes the viaducts, embankments, and drainage; Kiewit Infrastructure South Co., this company will install the core electrical systems needed to make the high-speed train operational; and Renfe, a company based in Spain that will operate the bullet train and also provide Texas Central with advisory and consulting services.