Texas to build high-speed railway between Dallas and Houston

The Texas Supreme Court approved construction of 235.5 miles of high-speed railway that will enable electrified trains to travel between Dallas and Greater Houston in approximately 90 minutes (Photo: High Speed Rail Alliance)

Texas will soon have a high-speed railway to take commuters between Dallas and Houston, thanks to a recent decision by the state’s highest court.  

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Texas Central LLC to build a railway for high-speed travel between Dallas and Houston. The project will be developed by Texas Central while the contractor Webuild, and its subsidiary Lane, will build all of the civil works.

The $30-billion project has faced numerous issues since the Texas Central Railway company was founded in 2009 including financial problems, the CEO resigning, and unpaid property taxes.

The contract, signed last year, foresees the design and construction of 235.5 miles of high-speed railway that will enable electrified trains to travel between Dallas and Greater Houston in approximately 90 minutes.

Trains will run at maximum speeds of 205 mph, and the trip will take 90 minutes. That’s 2 hours less than driving and about an hour less than flying (including airport terminal time). The trains will run 18 hours per day, with departures every half hour during peak periods.

The line, which would be one of the biggest infrastructure projects under development in the U.S., is said to benefit at least 100,000 commuters who every week travel by air or car between Houston and Dallas – reducing CO2 emissions by some 111,000 tons.

Webuild says that the contract includes the construction of the track system, the viaduct and embankment sections, the buildings for maintenance services, as well as train yards and warehouses with half of the line along a viaduct.

It is currently estimated that construction will be complete by 2026.