Texas Rail Advocates extends a "HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS!" to the Georgia Congressional delegation and all the business leaders and Chambers of Commerce who worked to secure a federal earmark of $750,000.00 to study and evaluate the Georgia portion of the South East High Speed Rail Corridor in anticipation of its second phase of upgrade and development.

As the organization leading the way toward $1 million study of the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor, Texas Rail Advocates is working with Chambers of Commerce and reaching out to other key elements of the business community to inform them of the significant opportunity offered by rail in the South Central Corridor. Rail can handle large volumes of freight with minimal environmental impact and still have ample capacity for anticipated growth through the end of the decade.

Part of the growth can be fast frequent passenger service offering an enjoyable travel component designed to decongest highways and link cities and air ports for smooth intermodal travel connections. Commuter Rail in the Austin/San Antonio portion of the corridor is a very important issue.

In March 2003, Texas Rail Advocates established contact with the members of the Texas delegation whose districts are on the corridor. The organization was in Austin twice in 2003 to meet with State House and Senate members. On two different Washington D.C. trips TRA officers met with Congressman Michael Burgess and a key aide to Senator Hutchison as well as Senator Cornyn‚s transportation aide.

Our formal request for a federal earmark of $1 million to study the South Central Corridor-the only one that hasn't receive any federal monies -was not acted upon by the key congressional delegates.

A new effort begins this January to realize the same success that the Georgia delegation did. The Swift Rail Development Act will be the primary route to study funding this year.

A four color brochure used to promote the South East High Speed Rail Corridor will be mailed to Chambers of Commerce, Mayors and County Judges with a cover letter suggesting that if the lower Eastern Seaboard needs to develop their high speed rail corridor, how much more does the South Central region need to develop this emerging international transportation artery.

Contacting Representatives Michael Burgess and Eddie Berenice Johnson to ask for a federal earmark of $1 million through the Swift Rail Development Act will be most helpful. Their local addresses where letter should be sent are:

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
District Office: Cedar Spring Plaza
2501 Cedar Spring Road Suite 550
Dallas TX 75201

Congressman Michael Burgess
District Office
1660 S. Stemmons Freeway Suite 230
Lewisville TX 75067

A similar letter should be mailed to:

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
10440 N. Central Expressway
Suite 1160, L. B. 606
Dallas, Texas 75231

Senator John Cornyn
5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1150
Dallas, Texas 75244

A productive meeting was held with a senior official of Hillwood Corporation on December 16th, 2003. Alliance Airport and Intermodal Rail and Truck Trans Loading facility was established by Hillwood. Texas Rail Advocates intends to ask this gentleman to become active on our board and help secure funding for the Corridor in whatever way the firm feels that it can best participate.

As we did last year, all of the congressional delegates along the corridor will be contacted and asked to support funding for the initial study project.

We have also scheduled a meeting in Austin with officials from the Texas Turnpike Authority on Thursday, February 5th, about incorporating the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor as the first segment of the rail component for the Trans Texas Corridor.

It promises to be a busy year.

The participation of each member will be welcome. The letters of support for the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor are the first item of business - visit the website for information on the project.