The proposed high-speed rail line from Dallas to Fort Worth has suffered some setbacks since it was first announced. But now there is good news from the Lone Star State: The Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments has approved an additional $1.6 million to help make the planned high-speed rail line a reality, Newsweek reported.
The train’s most recent obstacle came when the Dallas City Council voted against the train, opposing the construction of new above-ground tracks in the Downtown, Uptown and Victory Park neighborhoods.
However, the project does not appear to be moving forward. “I don’t think they can just get rid of the program,” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said at the time. “I think high-speed rail is necessary to regionalize transportation throughout North Texas.”
Newsweek speculated that the additional $1.6 million could be used for an environmental impact assessment to slightly change the route with the approval of the Dallas City Council. Amtrak is currently building a separate line from Dallas to Houston. Amtrak warned that changing the route from Dallas to Fort Worth could make it difficult to connect the two lines.
Whatever form high-speed rail takes in Texas, it will be better than no high-speed rail at all. Studies have shown that trains are the most environmentally friendly form of long-distance transportation, producing less heat-generating air pollution per passenger than cars or airplanes. They also take up less space overall than cars, create less noise pollution, and are generally easier and more pleasant for travelers.
Although the United States currently lags behind many other countries — notably China — in building a robust high-speed rail network, several more projects are in the pipeline in addition to the ones in Texas. These include the long-awaited high-speed rail network in California, two privately operated routes operated by Brightline in Florida and on the West Coast, and other more distant projects such as a route between Boston and New York.
Although Texas officials appear less enthusiastic about the prospect of high-speed rail than their counterparts in other states, the projects have also received cautious approval. Texas Senator Ted Cruz previously told Newsweek that the planned high-speed rail lines could “create jobs and support the economy.”
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