Congressional backing for the Dallas-to-Houston bullet train may be canceled, with local officials offering their opinions on the matter.
KERA News, a non-profit organisation funded by its members, brings you this update on the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project. Despite facing financial and political hurdles, the project is expected to break ground in 2029, with passenger operations starting in 2034.
The project, led by Texas Central Railway, was initially planned with the help of federal funding. However, earlier in 2025, a key federal funding component was cancelled. In response, the project's owner has indicated intentions to seek private funding. As of August 2025, an investor has stated the project is "shovel-ready," signalling readiness to proceed pending funding and other support.
The proposed rail project aims to alleviate congestion on roads and provide a faster and safer alternative as Texas' population grows. However, the project faces opposition from some local leaders. Dallas City Council member Cara Mendelsohn opposed a letter sent by the Regional Transportation Council to congressional representatives asking them to oppose language in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill that would prohibit federal funding for the high-speed rail project. Republican North Texas-area Congressman Jake Ellzey, on the other hand, has been vocal in his opposition to the project, calling it a "boondoggle" that would threaten to seize land from rural Texans using eminent domain.
Dallas completed a study showing a $5 billion economic impact from the bullet train, while Arlington Mayor Jim Ross is funding a separate study into the economic impact of a Dallas-Fort Worth high-speed rail line. Kleinheinz Capital Partners, a private Fort Worth-based company, has taken the lead on the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project after Amtrak's grant was terminated.
Under the Biden Administration, Texas Central secured a $64 million grant to study the legitimacy of their project, which was later rescinded by the Secretary after Ellzey's intervention. Michael Morris, regional transportation director, stated that Kleinheinz believes they can deliver the project faster without Amtrak.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA's growth and infrastructure reporter, providing updates on the Dallas-Houston high-speed rail project as developments unfold. The project, while facing significant challenges, remains alive, and local leaders will continue to weigh the benefits and drawbacks before making decisions that are best for their communities.
- KERA News, a non-profit news organization, reports on the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project, led by Texas Central Railway, which is expected to break ground in 2029 and begin passenger operations in 2034.
- Despite initial plans to secure federal funding, the project is now seeking private funding due to cancellation of a key federal funding component in 2025, with an investor declaring the project as "shovel-ready."
- The proposed rail project intends to reduce road congestion and offer a safer, faster alternative as Texas' population grows, but faces opposition from some local leaders like Dallas City Council member Cara Mendelsohn and Republican North Texas-area Congressman Jake Ellzey.
- During the Biden Administration, Texas Central secured a $64 million grant to study the project's legitimacy, but it was later rescinded by the Secretary following Ellzey's intervention.
- As local leaders weigh the benefits and drawbacks, Pablo Arauz Peña, KERA's growth and infrastructure reporter, provides updates on the ongoing Dallas-Houston high-speed rail project, which continues to face significant challenges.
