WASHINGTON — Amtrak has initiated a two-step process to seek a “delivery partner” for the Dallas-Houston high speed rail project, the former Texas Central effort it joined in 2023.
A notice on the company’s procurement website says that partner “will be responsible for facilitating Amtrak’s delivery of the project.” The company selected “will provide advice, leadership and support to Amtrak … and will undertake, direct and coordinate” management of design, construction, and quality management; third party and stakeholder coordination; procurement; commercial strategy” and other services.
The first step in the process is a Request for Qualifications, where interested companies submit a statement of qualifications for the work. Based on those submissions, Amtrak will invite eligible companies to participate in the Request for Proposals. The Request for Qualifications will be released via a private Amtrak website. The notice visible to the public does not indicate a date the Request for Qualifications is due.
Amtrak, in a brief statement to Trains News Wire, said it is “working to confirm the viability of the concept of a dedicated high-speed rail route between Dallas and Houston. As part of these efforts, we are seeking to identify the interest of potential partners through responses to this Request for Qualifications process.”
The group Texas Rail Advocates first reported the launch of the Request for Qualifications on its website.
Amtrak announced it was joining the Texas Central effort in August 2023, saying then — as it did in its latest comment — that it was working to establish the project’s viability [see “Amtrak working with Texas Central …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 9, 2023]. That came after Amtrak had hired Andy Byford, a respected former official at New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, for the newly created role of senior vice president of high-speed rail development programs.
The Texas effort now appears to be solely an Amtrak project. A press release on Amtrak’s involvement is the only discernible activity on the Texas Central website since 2022; it lists no employees, and shows its address in a Houston office building as one also listed for a company called FTI Consulting. Michael Bui, listed as the Texas Central CEO in Amtrak’s 2023 press release, had previously been identified as a senior manager at FTI Consulting in an online article.
The Texas Central effort dates to at least 2012, and cleared several governmental hurdles before running aground in the face of legal opposition from property owners over company effort to acquire right-of-way. The Texas Supreme Court eventually ruled the company had eminent domain authority to acquire land [see “State Supreme Court affirms …,” Trains News Wire, June 27, 2022]. By then, however, the company appeared to exist in name only.
Too little, and maybe too late?
Hello, Brightline Texas?
They’re the only operator that’s making things happen and not just talking hopes, dreams and pretty renderings.
LD equipment replacement should be the first thing on their “To Do” list. Why are they even involved at this point in an intrastate rail proposal the state of TX should be taking the lead on this. Again dragging their feet with LD replacements, well no need for them to worry that money is as good as gone at this point the LD routes will slowly disappear through attrition as they cannibalize the remaining Superliners over the next decade.
I doubt that Amtrak has the ability to handle this. Anyway, it has too many other problems that should be addressed before it gets involved with this.