The longtime dream of a high-speed "bullet train" from Dallas to Houston is looking more like reality.
The Texas Central Railroad announced Monday that the Federal Railroad Administration has given the OK to two key points needed to begin construction.
The FRA approved the establishment of a framework for safety requirements and ended environmental analysis on the project.
Construction could begin early next year.
The company says the completed line, using equipment from Japan where high-speed rail is established, will get passengers from Dallas to Houston in 90 minutes. And there will be a lot of jobs. At least 17,000 during construction and as many as 20,000 jobs or more supplying the line's needs.
The price tag? An estimated $20 billion to $30 billion.
Many are skeptical. The Dallas Morning News reported in September that more than 20 Republican state lawmakers are unconvinced of the Texas Central Railroad's finances and "expertise" to handle the project. They wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation in April expressing those concerns.
And a group called Texans Against High-Speed Rail says there is still a significant federal hurdle that could take more than a year to resolve. And they worry about eminent domain forcing private property owners to sell land along the 240-mile route.
In our view well we don't know for sure what to think. It sounds good, but is there really a demand for such a service in Texas? Is this the future or just a costly boondoggle?
Time will tell.
If the project ever gets built, that is.