October 29, 2026 - TRA Newswire -

During the October meeting of the Texas Transportation Commission, members heard of the need to establish a Passenger Rail Advisory Committee, and also awarded $9.2 million for a San Antonio grade-separation rail project.

Texas Rail Advocates President Peter LeCody spoke before commissioners and laid out reasons why TxDOT needs a Passenger Rail Advisory Committee to "connect the dots" with various ongoing rail planning and have a vision for the future.

"This year you completed an Austin to San Antonio Passenger Rail Study that connects two dots," said LeCody. "266,000 road trips on a typical weekday in that corridor that’s crying out for more options. Your Rail Division received initial federal funding to develop plans for conventional speed corridor service on existing rail between Houston and San Antonio……. two more dots. Another is between Dallas, through College Station to Houston……. another two dots. The Southern Rail Commission is advancing a leg of national passenger rail service from Atlanta to Dallas-Fort Worth, and Texas has yet to be engaged in the process…….. two more dots."

LeCody asked where is the statewide glue to bring these dots and other passenger rail projects together into a comprehensive forecast of travel needs and to have a vision for rail service.

The Texas Transportation Commission and TxDOT has other advisory, policy-making and stakeholders' committees to provide advice and recommendations on a variety of transportation issues. Current committees include ports, aviation, freight and even bicycle and pedestrian. There is no public advisory committee to deal with rail issues.

LeCody said that a Passenger Rail Advisory Committee can bring together cities, regions, rail operators, riders, economic development, rural & border, labor and workforce, disability needs, and safety to advise, prioritize and report to TxDOT and the Transportation Commission their findings.

"Your Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan and your Texas Triangle Multimodal Strategic Plan asked Texans about current and future transportation choices between our cities. Over half expect more congestion to impact future travel and 67% said it’s extremely or very important to improve options. You’ve questioned the public. They’ve given you the answers. Where do we go from here, sooner rather than later?"

In other rail matters....

TxDOT Rail Division Director Don Franks came before the commission requesting approval of $9.2 million to be awarded to the city of San Antonio for the Beitel Creek pedestrian overpass project. The funding is part of a major award of federal rail funding used to leverage more than $756 million from the Federal Railroad Administration.

"it will safely carry pedestrians and bicyclists over the Union Pacific Railroad corridor while eliminating a critical gap in the existing trail network," according to Franks. The fully designed project is shovel ready and has the support of Union Pacific Railroad for timely delivery, according to Franks.

It will become the 17th project funded through combined rail grant programs using state funds leveraged against the largest federal grant received in TxDOT history. This overpass will fully obligate the $250 million authorized by the legislature for at-grade rail separation grants from Senate Bill 1555, passed in 2025.