High-speed railway project gains partner

The planned high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas would use overhead electrical lines and its own separated tracks to shuttle riders between the two metro areas, through mostly flat, rural land. The N700 train is shown in this photo illustration from Texas Central Railway, using images provided by Japan Railway Central. less The planned high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas would use overhead electrical lines and its own separated tracks to shuttle riders between the two metro areas, through mostly flat, rural land. The ... more Photo: Under Permission Of JR Central / Under Permission Of JR Central Photo: Under Permission Of JR Central / Under Permission Of JR Central Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close High-speed railway project gains partner 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Texas Central was at the North Houston Association’s monthly meeting Thursday to give an update on their railway project, connecting a high-speed train from Houston to North Texas.

The latest news in the project was the announcement of a new agreement with Mass. Electric, who will work with Texas Central to help install the electrical systems and equipment, including power, signaling and communications. This company is the latest of many partners to join the rail project, which plans to transport travelers between Houston and North Texas in 90 minutes, including a stop in the Bryan-College Station area.

“Since this is the first true high-speed train in the United States, we are creating a new industry,” Texas Central Managing Director of External Affairs Holly Reed said. “We have been putting together a dream team of partners that have exceptional experience that are helping us get to operation.”

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Mass. Electric has completed numerous transportation projects nationwide, such as phase two of the Houston Light Rail project, the DART Green Line in Dallas and Union Station in Denver. The rail system itself will be based on a railway in Japan, the Shinkansen N700S train system.

“This project draws on our extensive experience in delivering high-quality rail systems safely and effectively,” Mass. Electric Project Director Mark Williams said in a news release. “We are excited to play a key role in the nation’s first high-speed train project.”

The project hasn’t been without its opposition. U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) wrote a letter to Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory last month opposing Texas Central’s efforts.

“The proposed Dallas to Houston route would threaten the property rights of Texas landowners whose farms, ranches and homesteads sit along the route—land that has at times been in families for generations,” Brady wrote. “Our government was created to protect our liberties—not to take them away—and I will fight against any permits from Washington D.C. that would grant this private company the ability to seize property without the consent from landowners.”

Brady continued by stating the project’s cost has already increased nearly 90 percent and that economic and safety questions have gone unanswered.

“While I strongly support infrastructure that addresses the dynamic growth of Texas, transportation improvements need to work for local communities, not against them,” Brady wrote.

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Reed said one of the key differences between the rail project and public infrastructure projects is that it’s investor-owned and not a government project.

“Everything is fundamentally different because it’s not a government project,” Reed said. “Everything is data-driven and has a fiscal discipline around it that the free market investors drive.”

Reed said they are working with landowners to come to agreements as it relates to building the railway across the state. Most of the railroad will be elevated, she said, giving access to the ground underneath. They currently have more than 30% of all parcels in alignment, and more than 50% of those parcels under contract coming out of Houston.

“The vast majority of Texans are very supportive of the project,” Reed said. “In the rural areas we do have support from a wide variety of people. There are some folks who are opposed. We do our best to answer their questions and resolve those issues but building any infrastructure project like this, it can be disruptive, and you can’t build a major infrastructure project without having some impacts.”

Reed said Texas Central works to make sure those impacts are minimized, and said the FRA came in to give them the least impactful pathway between Houston and Dallas.

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Texas Central’s website indicates its preferred route, referred to as Build Alternative A, runs from Houston roughly along U.S. 290 through northwest Harris County before turning northward near Binford Road and heading into Waller County.

Texas Central is still waiting for two federal approvals before they can take the next steps in the project, Reed said. They are waiting for environmental and safety approval, and Reed said they are optimistic they will receive those approvals next summer. Should that happen, Reed said they would start construction before the end of 2020.

The current schedule for the project is to have a train leaving every 30 minutes from each end, with each train able to hold up to 400 people.

“Once this is up and running, we really think that it’s a catalyst for other opportunities,” Reed said. “People will come here from around the world to see what was done and how it was done.”

paul.wedding@hcnonline.com