mrfootball Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 (edited) As some of you may or may not know there's a proposal to build a high-speed rail line connecting Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. The connector in Houston is planned for the 249 corridor, though there is movement to relocate this to the 290 corridor.There's an upcoming meeting:Thursday, October 26, Speaker: Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, Topic: The Texas T-Bone (Texas T-Bone is a rail project to connect two proposed high speed rail projects in Texas. One project (the South Central) spans the Fort Worth-Dallas, Waco, Austin and San Antonio corridor and one project (the Gulf Coast) spans the Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans corridor. The Texas T-Bone, or formally called the Brazos Express Corridor, connects both projects through the Houston area. Judge Eckels chairs the coalition of stakeholders working on the project). We meet on the fourth Thursday of each month, 8:00-9:30 am, at the Chamber Office, 11050 FM 1960 West, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77065. Edited September 5, 2006 by mrfootball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ENGcons Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Didn't they try this high speed rail a few years back and it fell through becasue SWA has political influence and killed it?If it did go down the 249 corridor would it use the existing rail track that is currently there, or would they lay down new track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 A recent article on the t-bone: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcas Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) If commute times were cut significantly, he said, more people might be inclined to live in Temple and work in Houston, Dallas or Austin - and vice versa.http://www.temple-telegram.com/story/local/2008/04/25/48890Cool story. Only a newspaper article from Temple would take the angle that people would be inclined to live in Temple and work in Houston, Dallas or Austin... Also, you'd think a Texas Triangle, rather than T-Bone, would benefit Houston & Dallas more - getting a direct route between the two largest metros would be a good thing, even if it required building a little more track. I wonder how much it would cost to ride on this and how far away in the future are we talking about - I might be an old man by that time... Edited April 28, 2008 by jimcas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) If commute times were cut significantly, he said, more people might be inclined to live in Temple and work in Houston, Dallas or Austin - and vice versa.http://www.temple-telegram.com/story/local/2008/04/25/48890Cool story. Only a newspaper article from Temple would take the angle that people would be inclined to live in Temple and work in Houston, Dallas or Austin... Also, you'd think a Texas Triangle, rather than T-Bone, would benefit Houston & Dallas more - getting a direct route between the two largest metros would be a good thing, even if it required building a little more track. I wonder how much it would cost to ride on this and how far away in the future are we talking about - I might be an old man by that time...This topic is covered in more detail here.I believe there is an even bigger thread, as well. Maybe the mods can combine them.Here it is. It actually started in France and morphed into Texas high speed rail (intentionally). Edited April 28, 2008 by RedScare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I am really dissatisfied at this route configuration. Small cities and military bases should not matter.Moreover, airports should not be the primary destinations; it should be Central Business Districts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 This thread has made me hungry for a nice ribeye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinUther Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 I am really dissatisfied at this route configuration. Small cities and military bases should not matter.Actually I was going to suggest extending the line from College Station North-West to Abilene then West to Midland/Odessa and El Paso. Downtown Abilene is practically on the existing railroad and Midland International Airport would be the best choice there due to the central location between Midland and Odessa. If there were a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 If we can make the system convenient enough, people will actually use it. Fully realized it will take some cars off the road and shorten lines at the airport.If gas continues its upward trajectory, airline travel will become expensive enough that rail will become viable (if it is not already). Convenience can mean different things to different people. For instance, rail travel would already be more convenient than the torture of driving to the airport, parking in a distant lot, taking a shuttle to the terminal, going through security and boarding a flight that will probably run late. If the train is shown to also be the same price or cheaper, ridership will soar. If inner city transit in the connecting cities allows commutes without renting a car, it would be game over for short haul domestic flying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Holla at cha boy!http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...63&ana=e_duTexas will be part of a federal program to create high-speed passenger train service, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.The agency said it plans to begin accepting bids from companies that will finance, design, build, operate and maintain high-speed trains in 11 federally designated corridors, according to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Holla at cha boy!http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...63&ana=e_duTexas will be part of a federal program to create high-speed passenger train service, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.The agency said it plans to begin accepting bids from companies that will finance, design, build, operate and maintain high-speed trains in 11 federally designated corridors, according to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.Gaey !! Does us zero good except to hit up the NO casinos faster. We already have passenger service to NO.This sounds like part of the Houston gets the Shaft Plan.The corridors, as currently designed by the Federal Rail Administration, stretch across the country, but only half Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProHouston Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Holla at cha boy!http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...63&ana=e_duTexas will be part of a federal program to create high-speed passenger train service, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.The agency said it plans to begin accepting bids from companies that will finance, design, build, operate and maintain high-speed trains in 11 federally designated corridors, according to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.Well this is a BS plan! How do you develop a high speed rail regional plan and not include Houston on the Dallas, SA, Austin lines? It would be a huge waste of money and time to connect Houston into the NO network and not the Texas network. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasVines Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 someone should inform someone that Houston would rather put up a wall between Houston and New Orleans....and then catapult some people back over it onto their heads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west20th Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 someone should inform someone that Houston would rather put up a wall between Houston and New Orleans....and then catapult some people back over it onto their headsNot Houston. Some in Houston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Not Houston. Some in Houston.More likely some in suburban Houston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcas Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 More likely some in suburban Houston.Houston is getting screwed on this idiotic plan. Connect us with Dallas, Austin, & SA, or don't spend the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 I think rail to Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin would get 100 times the traffic as to N.O (<sarcasm>oooh, take us from there to Meridian or Birmingham!!!</sarcasm>). I can't believe someone would let this get too far without figuring that out. I would go to Austin and SA easily 5 times as much if there was a fun high speed train involved.note: I have been to SA once in 30 years, Austin 3 times. Which is dumb because I've been to Gillette Wyoming 5 times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfootball Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 I think rail to Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin would get 100 times the traffic as to N.O (<sarcasm>oooh, take us from there to Meridian or Birmingham!!!</sarcasm>). I can't believe someone would let this get too far without figuring that out. I would go to Austin and SA easily 5 times as much if there was a fun high speed train involved.note: I have been to SA once in 30 years, Austin 3 times. Which is dumb because I've been to Gillette Wyoming 5 times.I recall Southwest Airlines and their lobbyist had a big part in nuking the last legit High Speed Rail effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I recall Southwest Airlines and their lobbyist had a big part in nuking the last legit High Speed Rail effort. Can't we blame that on the UAW also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 First, TxDot is retarded. Houston should be connected with the rest of the state. Now, if the rail line for the Gulf Coast extended into Florida, maybe, but Houston should be connected to both areas. Second, this thread should be moved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 (edited) This isn't so bad. The individual corridors are probably as they are for timing, financing, etc. Seems if such a system were actually built.. the remaining segments needed to make the Eastern system into one network would quickly fall into place either at the federal or state level. Houston - Austin/Dallas by way of the Tbone through Temple and C.S. Tulsa - KC Get Nashville and Memphis on the grid connecting to St.Louis, Atlanta... possible Little Rock and Louisville. Jacksonville - Orlando Cleveland - Pittsburgh. US DOT has maps and goal travel speeds up on their website Edited December 22, 2008 by Highway6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 a new article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...ro/6235582.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcas Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I wonder how much it would cost for a ticket on one of these trains... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livincinco Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 This isn't so bad. The individual corridors are probably as they are for timing, financing, etc.Seems if such a system were actually built.. the remaining segments needed to make the Eastern system into one network would quickly fall into place either at the federal or state level. Houston - Austin/Dallas by way of the Tbone through Temple and C.S. Tulsa - KC Get Nashville and Memphis on the grid connecting to St.Louis, Atlanta... possible Little Rock and Louisville. Jacksonville - Orlando Cleveland - Pittsburgh. US DOT has maps and goal travel speeds up on their website This is a pretty strange map. You're going to build thousands of miles of hi-speed rail, but you're going to leave a 225 mile gap in the network between Houston and Dallas? Same with Jacksonville - Orlando and Buffalo - Cleveland. Why leave these little gaps in such an extensive plan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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