FRA Releases Final EIS of Texas High-Speed Route

The Federal Railroad Administration has released the final environmental impact statement for the proposed Dallas-Houston high-speed rail line.

The review concludes with a draft plan issued in 2017 that building alternative A is preferred and there are no red flags that could stop the project.

However, the review said Texas Central, the company that plans to build and operate the service, will have to pay to relocate 12 businesses and 49 homes on the 240-mile route.

The review said the service is expected to shift 26 percent of travelers in the Dallas-Houston corridor off the highways and divert 2 percent from air travel while generating $14 billion of dollars in economic benefits between the time construction begins and 2040.

Other expected benefits of the project include an increase in property values, a $7.8 million annual increase in property tax revenue and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The FRA is accepting public comment on the study.

Tags: Federal Railroad Administration, Texas Central, Texas Central Partners, Texas high-speed rail