Houston Mayor says more Amtrak service needed
September 18th, 2018
September 18, 2018 - Exclusive to TRA -
In a letter to Amtrak President Richard Anderson, the Mayor of Houston said he supports increased service of the now tri-weekly Sunset Limited train that stops in the city.
Mayor Sylvester Turner indicated he is in "full support of Rail Passengers Association request to increase the frequency of service of the Sunset Limited to daily". Turner wrote that "we have seen increasing congestion on the I-10 corridor serving Texas, and the need for safe, affordable, reliable alternatives to automobiles and air travel to assure Texas' continued growth and prosperity."
The mayor of the nation's 4th largest city stressed that Houston depends on Amtrak. "We recognize that the current service schedule of only three times a week limits convenient connections to six other communities in Texas and four other states, and given the population growth seen in these cities, I want to advocate and express my strong desire to support efforts to maintain and improve Amtrak-served communities".
The DC-based Rail Passengers Association (RPA) and their Divison Leaders and Council members along the entire Sunset Limited corridor from New Orleans to Los Angeles have been contacting local officials in each city to get their support on increasing train service.
According to studies from RPA, between the years 2000 to 2016, the five states have seen a population growth in the counties served by the Sunset Limited of 22%. In Texas, during the same period, the growth has been 34%.
In a letter to Amtrak President Richard Anderson, the Mayor of Houston said he supports increased service of the now tri-weekly Sunset Limited train that stops in the city.
Mayor Sylvester Turner indicated he is in "full support of Rail Passengers Association request to increase the frequency of service of the Sunset Limited to daily". Turner wrote that "we have seen increasing congestion on the I-10 corridor serving Texas, and the need for safe, affordable, reliable alternatives to automobiles and air travel to assure Texas' continued growth and prosperity."
The mayor of the nation's 4th largest city stressed that Houston depends on Amtrak. "We recognize that the current service schedule of only three times a week limits convenient connections to six other communities in Texas and four other states, and given the population growth seen in these cities, I want to advocate and express my strong desire to support efforts to maintain and improve Amtrak-served communities".
The DC-based Rail Passengers Association (RPA) and their Divison Leaders and Council members along the entire Sunset Limited corridor from New Orleans to Los Angeles have been contacting local officials in each city to get their support on increasing train service.
According to studies from RPA, between the years 2000 to 2016, the five states have seen a population growth in the counties served by the Sunset Limited of 22%. In Texas, during the same period, the growth has been 34%.