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HIGHLIGHTS
PARTNERSHIPS KEY TO MOVING HIGH SPEED RAIL TOWARD COMPLETION ✅
Imagine boarding a train in Tarrant County and being transported to Houston in less than two hours , bypassing the traffic along the region ’ s major highways and the potential backups that may occur .
This vision is closer to reality thanks to separate high-speed rail projects that could ultimately connect to form a system that will allow people to travel from Fort Worth or Arlington to Houston without changing trains .
Last week , Amtrak and Texas Central Partners announced a plan to work together to study moving forward with the long-planned high-speed rail line to Houston , with a station in the Bryan-College Station area .
The North Central Texas Council of Governments ( NCTCOG ) is moving ahead on a plan to bring high-speed rail service to the Interstate Highway 30 corridor , connecting Fort Worth and Arlington to Dallas and the planned highspeed rail line to Houston .
NCTCOG studied 43 potential alignments and a series of potential high-speed technologies as part of Phase 1 of the Dallas-Fort Worth High-Speed Transportation Connections Study .
High-speed rail along the IH 30 corridor emerged as the preferred method to connect people from throughout the region to the planned Dallas-Houston route . The DFW High-Speed Transportation Connections Study will move into the National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ) portion of Phase 2 in September , focusing on route alignment , possible station locations and potential social and environmental impacts . This environmental process is expected to be completed in a year and will include opportunities for the public to provide input on priorities
“ We applaud the partnership between Amtrak and Texas Central Partners to connect North Texas and Houston with innovative technology ,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said . “ Extending high-speed rail along Interstate Highway 30 is key to ensuring Fort Worth residents can continue to travel reliably as the region grows and traffic increases . With the collaboration of our North Texas neighbors , as well as the North Central Texas Council of Governments and our federal and private-sector partners , high-speed rail can be more than just a vision . It can become reality .”
Dallas-Fort Worth has a population of more than 8 million people and stands to eclipse 11 million by 2045 . This type of growth necessitates an embrace of innovative transportation options to preserve and enhance the region ’ s quality of life . Connecting two of the country ’ s largest metropolitan areas with high-speed trains that move in excess of 200 miles per hour could improve safety and reliability while fostering even greater economic growth .
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross sees high-speed rail as a transformative technology that can help move people through the region and can complement the current transportation network .
“ Arlington is excited to partner in the effort to bring high-speed rail to our region ,” Mayor Ross said . “ North Texas remains one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country with no sign of slowing down . This requires continued creativity , including examining new ways to move people . Adding high-speed rail as an option for people to get to Arlington , whether they live or work here , or are visiting our world-class Entertainment District , would be revolutionary .”
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