Marfch 12, 2025 - TRA Austin -

A state program that would allow the Texas Department of Transportation to issue grants for separating roadways from railroads at crossings passed the Senate Transportation Committee on a 9-0 vote and now heads for a floor vote. The bill was authored by Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Robert Nichols, (R) Palestine, along with Houston Senator Carol Alvarado (D). 

The Senate bill has a companion House bill,  HB3727, authored by Frisco Representative Jared Patterson (R) and Houston Representative Ana Hernandez (D), The House bill was filed on March 4th and has not yet been assigned to committee.

A number of advocates spoke in support of Senate bill 1555. They included Andrea French from Transportation Advocates of Texas; Madison Graham, Texas Transportation Advocates Group (TAG-Houston); Executive Director Kathleen Parker of the Gulf Coast Rail District; Ben Wright, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and Peter LeCody from Texas Rail Advocates.

During interim hearings last fall, it was determined that the Senate Transportation Committee should investigate rail grade separations to improve safety, emergency response times, mitigate highway congestion, enhance economic productivity, improve evacuation routing and keep the supply chain moving on railroads and highways.

The bill, if passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, would require the TxDOT Rail Division to award grants to improve highway-rail crossings with overpasses, underpasses and other improvements on non-highway intersections throughout the state.

While no funding is specifically attached to the bill, it's been bandied about the capitol that $350 million would be a likely amount allocated to kickstart the grant program. Local entities would be required to contribute a minimum of !0% to finance the cost of a grade separation project.

Giving testimony at the Wednesday Transportation Committee hearing, Texas Rail Advocates President Peter LeCody pointed out that the grant program can come none too soon. "In 2024 Texas experienced 246 highway-rail crossing crashes resulting in 16 deaths and 75 injuries. That is not a designation we desire and that's why I am glad to be here and show our support for this grant program, said LeCody.

LeCody also said that the Federal Railroad Administration offers competiive grant programs and if Texas is able to participate and win federal grants it could be a force multiplier in advancing even more rail projects.

Photo credit: TxDOT