Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum

LongonBigD wrote:

itsjrd1964 wrote:I wonder if there is any chance that there could be a future extension from the perimeter to downtown. I'm sure if it was the other way around, there would many prominent local pompom-shakers and developers chomping at the bit here to figure out a way for an extension the rest of the way to downtown Dallas.

If it were truly the other way around, I’m pretty sure we’d be in the same predicament.

Imagine if the proposed HSR were from OKC to Dallas, who exactly would be pressing to shove that thing through North Dallas, Preston Hollow, University Park, and finally Highland Park to get downtown?

electricron wrote:

itsjrd1964 wrote:

Cbdallas wrote:Glad to see this moving along but still painfull that it will only take you to the perimeter of Houston and not directly downtown.

I wonder if there is any chance that there could be a future extension from the perimeter to downtown. I'm sure if it was the other way around, there would many prominent local pompom-shakers and developers chomping at the bit here to figure out a way for an extension the rest of the way to downtown Dallas.

The problem with a downtown Houston train station was a lack of a great site. The best site for a railroad station was torn down a decade ago for the new baseball park. Go Astros, let's hope they win the Series again.

The EIS studied two other locations nearer downtown, one on the north side of Buffalo Bayou and the other location at the present Amtrak train station site. The north site is set for developing into public housing complexes, and the existing Amtrak site is hemmed in without much room for station expansion. Both are terrible sites for a modern HSR train station - and both required running elevated viaduct through residential and hospital neighborhoods. There was just too many negatives for a new downtown Houston HSR station - unlike the approaches into downtown Dallas from the south.
Business travelers will be the bread and butter customers the HSR line will need to operate profitably every day. As long as the train station is closer to downtown Houston than the two Houston airports, it should not have any problems competing with them.

electricron wrote:

itsjrd1964 wrote:

Cbdallas wrote:Glad to see this moving along but still painfull that it will only take you to the perimeter of Houston and not directly downtown.

I wonder if there is any chance that there could be a future extension from the perimeter to downtown. I'm sure if it was the other way around, there would many prominent local pompom-shakers and developers chomping at the bit here to figure out a way for an extension the rest of the way to downtown Dallas.

The problem with a downtown Houston train station was a lack of a great site. The best site for a railroad station was torn down a decade ago for the new baseball park. Go Astros, let's hope they win the Series again.

The EIS studied two other locations nearer downtown, one on the north side of Buffalo Bayou and the other location at the present Amtrak train station site. The north site is set for developing into public housing complexes, and the existing Amtrak site is hemmed in without much room for station expansion. Both are terrible sites for a modern HSR train station - and both required running elevated viaduct through residential and hospital neighborhoods. There was just too many negatives for a new downtown Houston HSR station - unlike the approaches into downtown Dallas from the south.
Business travelers will be the bread and butter customers the HSR line will need to operate profitably every day. As long as the train station is closer to downtown Houston than the two Houston airports, it should not have any problems competing with them.

tamtagon wrote:Doesn't seem to be enough people and/or business travel from all of Oklahoma let alone OKC to get the for-profit HSR trains looking that way. Connecting San Antonio and Austin to Dallas, for sure.

The entrance of the station in Dallas. The goal is to have travelers from the street to the train in as little as 45 seconds.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:Yeah honestly if they start construction of the high-speed rail project they are likely to see things like hotels and such announced in short order. They are spending private investment here to fund a basic line if you will. If they can prove they can actually start building developers and partners are more likely.

The developer seeking to connect Houston to North Texas by high-speed rail has added a new partner.

Texas Central announced Thursday that it has signed an early works agreement with train system installation firm Mass. Electric Construction Co. Through the end of the year, both companies plan to outline the scope of the future agreement, including a construction schedule and cost of work. The agreement is set to be signed later this year.

Mass. Electric, a subsidiary of Kiewit Corp., will be installing the core system, signaling and communication equipment, as well as critical safety elements for Texas Central.

The core system is also a key component of Central Japan Railway's Tokaido Shinkansen N700S technology. The Shinkansen N700S train system is known as the world’s safest mass transit system and serves as a foundation that Texas Central is basing its project on.

Google Translate wrote:A justly ambitious project that aims to revolutionize the lives and habits of Texans….

First-Class comfort, with even more space:

•WIDE aisles: 32” (wider than a regional jet)
•Ample space: 32” of legroom and 41” seat pitch (nearly a foot of total added space compared to flying first-class)
•All seats recline, optimized to offer best recline without disturbing the passenger in rear
•And, no seatbelts!

lakewoodhobo wrote:First Look at the interior layout of the Texas High-Speed Train
https://www.texascentral.com/posts/mile ... peed-train

First-Class comfort, with even more space:

•WIDE aisles: 32” (wider than a regional jet)
•Ample space: 32” of legroom and 41” seat pitch (nearly a foot of total added space compared to flying first-class)
•All seats recline, optimized to offer best recline without disturbing the passenger in rear
•And, no seatbelts!

ACCOMMODATING SERVICE ANIMALS: THEY HAVE A JOB TO DO, WE WANT TO HELP

The Texas high-speed train will be welcoming and accommodating to passengers with service animals. Requirements are being reviewed closely to understand what is needed for the best accommodation for both the service animals and riders of the train.

On the train, the leg room provided for most seats will allow those with service animals to select a variety of seating, not just in a bulkhead row. Texas Central recognizes the importance of having service animals accompany persons with disabilities, and we look forward to being your choice to travel.

TNWE wrote:"No Seatbelts!" seems like a weird thing to tout - obviously they're not required for trains in the US, but it seems like something else the anti-HSR crowd will latch onto in a desperate attempt to throw up another roadblock.

TNWE wrote:

lakewoodhobo wrote:First Look at the interior layout of the Texas High-Speed Train
https://www.texascentral.com/posts/mile ... peed-train

First-Class comfort, with even more space:

•WIDE aisles: 32” (wider than a regional jet)
•Ample space: 32” of legroom and 41” seat pitch (nearly a foot of total added space compared to flying first-class)
•All seats recline, optimized to offer best recline without disturbing the passenger in rear
•And, no seatbelts!

"No Seatbelts!" seems like a weird thing to tout - obviously they're not required for trains in the US, but it seems like something else the anti-HSR crowd will latch onto in a desperate attempt to throw up another roadblock.

As far as the seat layouts, its not all that different from existing Amtrak economy seats - 2x2 with ample legroom and deep recline. I'm curious if TCR will announce a first class option - most European operators have it, but their economy product is much less spacious.

Tnexster wrote:Once one of these things is operational, people will be like....we need more of these. Planes suck!

Tnexster wrote:Once one of these things is operational, people will be like....we need more of these. Planes suck!

THRILLHO wrote:

Tnexster wrote:Once one of these things is operational, people will be like....we need more of these. Planes suck!

This is the dream. I want to take these everywhere!
That might put buc-ee's out of business though.

Renfe inks $6 bn deal to build first high-speed train in US
http://www.rfi.fr/en/wires/20200220-ren ... d-train-us

For Renfe, the design and construction phase of the contract, which will run to 2026, is worth some $311 million, while the operation and maintenance of the line between 2026 and 2042 will bring in some $5.6 billion.

quixomniac wrote:This might motivate Buc-ee's build them right next to the stations!!!

THRILLHO wrote:That's true, I would miss Czech Stop...

Well any Austin route I expect to have a stop in Waco. Maybe the King and Queen of Waco would give them a bakery space in whatever development they're sure to build next to this hypothetical station lol

Unless you have land that it passes directly through, what's the argument against it?

Cbdallas wrote:Airline lobby's are probably fighting this pretty hard behind the scenes. I would love to have it done and another one to triangulate Austin and San Antonio as well. Those 4 cities are all in the same state and high population centers imagine if Texas actually led the nation on this.

exelone31 wrote:What if the state came out and said they wanted to build a highway through the exact same space? Would there be all this hand-wringing?

Hannibal Lecter wrote:I suspect some ballot box stuffing. When I checked it several days ago it was 90/10 on the for side.

Cbdallas wrote:Southwest and American AA sent out memos to all employees to go online and vote against.