Central Texas passenger rail: Officials speak on plans to expand services

Passenger rail service from Austin to Mexico

The Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee is considering expanding passenger rail services between Austin and Mexico.

AUSTIN, Texas - Officials from Travis County and beyond spoke out Monday about plans to expand passenger train service to and from Austin. They say more rail options are needed to handle the rapid population growth in our area.

The Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee hosted a high-stakes meeting on Monday, Sept. 23, aboard the Amtrak train from San Antonio to Austin, to discuss plans to expand train service.

"We don't want to miss the boat or the train," said Travis County Judge Andy Brown.

While no specific plans are set in stone, the hope is to add high-speed passenger service along the corridor between Austin, San Antonio and Monterrey, Mexico.

"It’s Travis County. It's Hays County. It's Bexar County and all the local communities in between," said Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai.

The population of the Austin-San Antonio super-region is expected to soar from five million now to eight million by 2050. With that, there will be more and more cars on I-35.

Is a CTX passenger rail possible?

Travis County Judge Andy Brown is trying to get a passenger rail plan for Central Texas back on track.

"If we don't have great passenger rail service by then, we're going to be walking," said Brown.

The bipartisan infrastructure law put $66 billion on the table for passenger rail development across the country. Under the law, if a given project is approved, the feds will pay 80%--provided a state, city or county puts up the remaining 20%. The Rail Advisory Committee wants to see Texas get a chunk of that—before that train leaves the station.

"Texas has so far missed out on over $19 billion in federal funding because we don't have a system in place that is funded to match those dollars," said Brown.

"Seems like a really high price tag, but I think at the end of the day, it's going to really save us a lot of money as Texans," said Melissa Cabello Havrda, chair of the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The committee is hoping to secure state funding in the next year, so rail expansion can get on track.

"By reallocating a small portion of our state budget surplus, we can modernize our transportation system," said Brown.

Federal grant denied for Texas passenger rail

The Federal Railroad Administration has denied grant money for the fastest-growing metro areas in Texas when it comes to passenger rail expansion.

Officials from Mexico are hoping to see an expansion of freight as well as passenger service.

"Every day, 25,000 trucks leave Monterrey, through Texas to go to the U.S.," said Emmanuel Loo, Deputy Secretary of Economic Development for Nuevo León, Mexico. "So we have to create a new alternative for that cargo to get here and for that transport for those passengers to get here."

While any plans remain in the early stages, some say doing nothing is not an option.

"We can't put more cars and trucks on I-35," said Sakai. "If we stay status quo, it'll be gridlock."

The Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee plans to advocate for more state funding to expand train service in the upcoming legislative session, which begins in January.