Transportation leaders in North Texas say they’re going to keep pushing for high speed rail in the region regardless of the Trump administration's decision to pull key funding from the project.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday it is terminating a nearly $64 million planning grant awarded to Amtrak for a proposed bullet train between Dallas and Houston, calling the project a "waste of taxpayer funds." Kleinheinz Capital Partners, a private Fort Worth-based company and a lead investor in Texas Central, is now taking the lead on the project.
Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, said in a statement Tuesday that regional leaders are still moving forward with an environmental study of the proposed Fort Worth-to-Dallas bullet train.
He added the council looks forward to “continuing the conversation” with Texas Central’s new leadership on the Dallas to Houston rail that would cut travel time between the two cities to 90 minutes.
“The Regional Transportation Council has directed NCTCOG staff to advance planning for a one-seat-ride (no transfers) high-speed rail service through North Texas,” Morris said in a statement. “We look forward to the latest partnership to implement high-speed rail from Fort Worth to Houston.”
Dallas City Council member Omar Narvaez, who chairs the city’s transportation and infrastructure committee, told KERA the city still doesn’t want to miss the opportunity to get the project built, pointing to its economic, safety and environmental benefits.
“It's disappointing that the administration at the federal level doesn't understand or see why this is important,” he said.
Narvaez said neither Texas Central nor Kleinheinz Capital Partners have reached out to the city about the decision.
He added the city already spent $1.5 million on an economic impact study.
“We're still gonna be positive about this and hope our Texas representatives from the governor on down see the importance and continue to see the importance,” Narvaez said.
The Texas House transportation committee is scheduled to hear testimony from a representative of Kleinheinz Capital Partners and Texas Central about the high speed rail project on Thursday.
Morris, the regional director, said during a meeting Tuesday the hearing could go "one way or the other" for the future of high-speed rail in Texas.
"I think we're gonna hear on Thursday if this group is made up of enough horsepower to get it across the goal line, what their time frame will be or we're going in some other direction with regard to closing out the project," he said. "I don't know which."
Peter LeCody, president of Texas Rail Advocates, said in a news release Thursday's hearing should give some clarity on the project amid Kleinheinz Capital Partner's new role and news of the federal funding cut.
"I think we are going to have to wait until Thursday morning to see where both of these developments take us," LeCody said.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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