April 23, 2025 - TRA Newswire -

A new twist in the high-speed rail saga happens Monday, April 28 when House Bill 483 finally gets a hearing in the Transportation Sub-Committee on Funding.

The committee will hear from Texas Representative John Bucy, (D) Austin, who filed the bill that would allow the Texas Department of Transportation to "enter into a comprehensive development agreement with a private entity to construct, maintain, and operate high-speed rail connecting Dallas to Austin to San Antonio along the Interstate Highway 35 corridor."

According to the bill language, the I-35 proposed intercity passenger rail service is reasonably expected to reach speeds of at least 110 miles per hour.

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute describes a Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA) as " a type of Public Private Partnership (PPP). A CDA allows a private company to perform different combinations of design, development, finance, construction, maintenance, repair, and operation. A CDA may be used for toll projects, improvement projects that include both  tolled and non-tolled lanes, improvement projects in which a private entity has an interest in the project, or mprovement  projects financed wholly or partly with private activity bonds."

CDA's, used primarily for toll road projects in the past, could be available for rail projects if the legislature approves the bill.

Citizens interested in supporting HB 483 can file a public comment through this link once the Monday agenda has been posted:  https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c470.