Incremental Improvements... Tulsa to Houston We do not talk much about Texas in this forum. However, we are grateful the Texas Rail Advocates (TRA) organization exists to champion southern efforts. The recent announcement that TxDOT is surveying non-Amtrak carriers for Heartland Flyer came from TRA. Amtrak’s rumored cost increases could result in an untimely Heartland Flyer discontinuance. Thoughts of Texas passenger rail always drift to the Texas Eagle. Over the years, the Texas Eagle has served as a critical link for Oklahoma travelers. Thirty percent of Heartland Flyer passengers connect with the Texas Eagle during the mid-afternoon hours. Unfortunately, reaching Houston without several layovers, or a bus, is not possible. In fact, Oklahomans have not been able to easily reach Houston by train since 1979. Beginning in November 1988, Amtrak created a Houston section of the Texas Eagle. This section split at Dallas, running on a Southern Pacific Railroad line through Bryan-College Station, the home of Texas A&M University. The San Antonio section of the Texas Eagle continued through Austin, the home of the University of Texas. Unfortunately, the Texas Eagle Houston section was discontinued around 1995. This was just four years before the first run of the Heartland Flyer. Still, the hope is Amtrak competition is fast approaching fast. In addition to the Eastern Flyer, the Texas Central Railway is moving forward with plans for a private, true High-Speed Rail train connecting Dallas and Houston. Hopefully long term the route will link Tulsa and Houston through Oklahoma City and Dallas. It is time to ride the rails! texascentral/
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 10:00:00 +0000
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