This is really ironic. Years ago, Southwest Airlines, a company much admired on TFA, killed Texas’ plans for HSR. Today, the vision is almost European in style. It is a lot of work and investment, but not impossible. Things change a lot in 20 years.
“The state has grown since then and our population has grown substantially,” he said. “In the years to come, air travel is apt to become more expensive, not less, and high-speed rail provides an alternative for our transportation needs.”
Another major change from the previous effort is that the system would likely be centered on the major airports in the state, he said.
And I would still approve Southwest operating the HSR system.
Filed under: Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail
Trains For America 
Southwest is not the harbinger of Public Interest they would have you believe. They (along with Jeb Bush) were instrumental in repealing a Constutition Change here in Florida to kill High Speed Rail.
It’s not without precedent. Braniff Air (another Texas firm, I believe) talked President Lyndon Johnson into transferring US Postal Revenue from America’s passenger rail system to AIR and TRUCKS in the middle of the fabled 1960s. The RR Passenger system went into it’s death spiral without delay.
Happy Trains Day!
Tim
As much as I hope for HSR across the USA Texas cities are so Sprawled out would it work there? I guess people could use HSR just like the airports ..ie drive to the HSR station and park then take the train. This option is what might need to be done in Californias Central Valley HSR stations
They really need to revisit a “Texas Triangle” design over the ‘T-Bone’. It is perhaps 90 miles more rail at most and would make routings much more logical and more direct. Waco, Austin, and Bryan/College Station would the the points of the triangle with legs off each point to the big three population centers: DFW, San Antonio, and Houston respectively. Not very many people would choose the train over car from Houston to San Antonio if they have to go all the way way way north to Temple first before heading south again.
nik-“Not very many people would choose the train over car from Houston to San Antonio if they have to go all the way way way north to Temple first before heading south again.”
True. When I lived in San Antonio, I sometimes flew to Houston to visit my friends. There would be plenty of passengers for a direct train!