AUSTIN, Texas — Texas state legislators are trying to revive a long-proposed commuter rail service between Austin and San Antonio.
The San Antonio Current reports that 20 state representatives have sent a letter to the chairman of the House Transportation Committee requesting a feasibility study of rail service prior to the 2021 legislative session.
The most recent effort to create rail service between the two cities ended in 2016 when Union Pacific withdrew from an agreement to study the possibility of allowing passenger trains on its route paralleling Interstate 35.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told the Rivard Report his city would support a new rail project if the state worked with the two cities.
“It has been a priority for this community for almost three decades,” Nirenberg said. “And I’ve always said it will happen once the governor’s office makes it a priority.”
Only the ex-MP goes to Austin. The ex-Katy splits off at San Marcos.
New roadways always invite MORE traffic. Also, I would hope this proposal would prioritize SATX airport service, making this truely multimodal.
Dallas and Fort Worth are successful with the Trinity River Express (TRE). A similar market exists between Austin and San Antonio for commuter rail. With the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area approaching the population of 6 million, there is a market never officially considered that radiates from Houston to Galveston, Beaumont, Conroe (and The Woodlands), Katy and Sugar Land.
Expressways and highways can only be expanded so wide and multidecked so high. As is repeatedly proven, when roadways are expanded, gridlock occurs again.
Aren’t there two UP lines (ex-MP & ex-MKT) between Austin and San Antonio?
Who wants to do business with someone who doesn’t who does NOT want to do business with you? The only way rail passenger service will be between these two places is a separate right of way and it can be. I already have it marked off not just these 2 places. but a continuous ribbon of rail steel from the Gulf at Corpus Christi to the mountains. double tracked and at that with track speeds at 180 mph and more. Row with width enough to add 2ndgeneration superconducting Maglev
Would make sense as frequent corridor service, especially if extended north to Round Rock.
On the downside I don’t see UP allowing this on their single track CTC northbound directional freight service ROW without very expensive upgrades (imagine trying to double track the stretch inside the MoPac Freeway median.
Plus no inexpensive way to integrate well with Austin’s Cap City Metrorail.