June 16, 2024 - Donnie Tuggle, KBTX.com - 

Rail advocates in Texas are ramping up efforts to secure funding for both high-speed and conventional rail projects as the next legislative session approaches in January. This week, the Rail Passenger Association and Texas Rail Advocates met for a National/Texas Passenger Rail Briefing online to emphasize the critical need for state investment in rail infrastructure.

Peter LeCody, President of Texas Rail Advocates, highlighted several key initiatives during the briefing, including ongoing corridor studies, TxDOT’s Rail Plan, and the collaborative efforts between Texas Central Railway (TCR) and Amtrak to explore high-speed rail connectivity between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Houston. LeCody pointed out funding challenges faced during previous legislative sessions, noting missed opportunities due to political disputes.

“We had a rider placed in the 2023 legislative session asking for $200 million to populate the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund. Unfortunately, when the speaker of the house and the lieutenant governor got in a tiff, all of these budget riders for any funding out of the General Revenue Fund were tossed. So again, rail is taking a backseat and we missed out again on competitive funding on federal grants,” said LeCody.

Read more and video: https://www.kbtx.com/2024/06/17/texas-conventional-high-speed-rail-advocates-rally-funding-ahead-legislative-session/

Rail Passengers Association and Texas Rail Advocates joint online national/Texas passenger rail update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H65bJhiwTLo&t=2s