The Davy Crockett
Engineer
205 mph Shinkansen passenger service between DFW and Houston in 8 years? :unsure:
The Texas Central Railway claims it could be a reality.
This proposal, and that is really all it is at the moment, does seem almost as 'pie-in-the-sky' as Xpress West to me, but since there has been very little talk of it here at AU, other than this unclearly named thread, I thought I'd give it a proper thread of its own, as the addition of one person to the payroll has some folks taking the project a bit more seriously.
From dallasnews.com...
"Editorial: Boost for Texas bullet train project" :
As they say, everything is bigger in Texas. Could be the bullets, the opportunities, and/or the BS...
And speaking of opportunities, I see a chance for Jim Hudson to get onboard as a spokesperson to educate his fellow Texans that these bullet trains would be for riding on, not shooting at!
The Texas Central Railway claims it could be a reality.
This proposal, and that is really all it is at the moment, does seem almost as 'pie-in-the-sky' as Xpress West to me, but since there has been very little talk of it here at AU, other than this unclearly named thread, I thought I'd give it a proper thread of its own, as the addition of one person to the payroll has some folks taking the project a bit more seriously.
From dallasnews.com...
"Editorial: Boost for Texas bullet train project" :
One thing that is for sure: The TCR website could use some updating...Tom Schieffer, former Texas Rangers president and ambassador to Japan and Australia, has joined the Texas Central High-Speed Railway as a senior adviser, company president Robert Eckels, former Harris County judge, told this newspaper.The privately financed company aims to start 205 mph rail service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston as early as 2021.
The Japan part of Schieffer’s résumé is key: The Texas-based company is affiliated with the Central Japan Railway, a leader in rail technology and operator of the bullet train that serves Tokyo and Osaka.
Schieffer’s role includes helping line up investors for the $10 billion Texas project and bridging differences in business practices in the two nations. His Fort Worth roots are intended to calm officials on the western side of the metro area who have been clamoring to make sure the train line serves not just Dallas, but Fort Worth and D/FW Airport passengers as well...
...It’s operating on private capital that wants a U.S. demonstration project for proven Japanese bullet-train technology.
The goal is connecting two major population centers about 250 miles apart, the optimum distance for competing with air service and highway travel.
Enter the Dallas-Houston route and Texas’ reputation for a friendly business climate. Eckels says an investment-grade market study indicates that the Texas route would be profitable.
The Texas bullet train would be routed mostly on right-of-way controlled by freight rail, TxDOT or utility companies. Some private land would have to be acquired, and the railroad would have power of eminent domain if business negotiations failed.
As they say, everything is bigger in Texas. Could be the bullets, the opportunities, and/or the BS...
And speaking of opportunities, I see a chance for Jim Hudson to get onboard as a spokesperson to educate his fellow Texans that these bullet trains would be for riding on, not shooting at!