The Texas Department of Transportation recently announced that exploration of potential routes for passenger rail service extending 850 miles between Oklahoma City and South Texas will be the focus of the next phase of a feasibility study.
The route has been broken into three segments under the federally-supported $7 million Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study. Those three segments span from Oklahoma City to Dallas-Fort Worth, from Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio, and from San Antonio to South Texas.
“The advancement of this study is a positive step forward,” Texas Transportation Commissioner Jeff Austin III said. “The study provides a foundation upon which the private sector, local stakeholders, and our federal partners can consider opportunities to work together to potentially advance this project.”
The most recent phase of the study found that passenger rail service between Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio could feasibly reach 220 mph. The study also found that service from San Antonio through Laredo to Monterrey, Mexico, would be feasible, as would passenger rail service of up to 125 mph from San Antonio to Rio Grande Valley.
“As the population of Texas continues to grow, we will to continue to work with various partners to explore all opportunities to keep Texans moving,” Austin said. “Options such as passenger rail service may be one way to keep up with growing demand.”