The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) is considering an alternative path for high-speed rail into Dallas that would divert the last mile of the project west of downtown before continuing to the approved Dallas high-speed rail station, past the southern edge of downtown in the Cedars. RTC members discussed the alternative, offered by North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) staff members, during a work session in July. The RTC is expected to hear further details of the plan when it meets on August 8 at the Irving Convention Center, as part of the Infrastructure Summit 2024.
NCTCOG is involved in a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of the proposed Fort Worth-to-Dallas high-speed rail project, which would also include a station in Arlington. The route could be environmentally cleared as early as March 2025.
This western concept being discussed avoids an area of downtown Dallas with great potential for economic development. However, it loses the opportunity to connect passengers of high-speed rail to/from Houston with the Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station, the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, and other nearby destinations, which the downtown alignment could have provided.
The new option being discussed would still connect to the approved Dallas high-speed rail station with planned service to Houston, allowing passengers to board the train in Fort Worth or Arlington and reach Houston without having to change trains, in accordance with the RTC’s “one-seat ride” policy. For information on the workshop and to learn more about the project, visit nctcog.org/dfw-hstcs.
