July 21, 2025 - TRA Newswire -

Getting a head start on the 2027 Texas legislative session, leaders of grass-roots and non-profit organizations met in Houston earlier this month and have set their sights on making a statewide Intercity Passenger Rail network a reality.

It's now one of seven key priorities for the next two years that Texas Streets Coalition (TXSC) endorsed during a two-day strategic planning retreat.

Some 40 local, regional and statewide organizations comprise Texas Streets Coalition. Other priorities for the next 2-year cycle include multimodal funding, active transportation, legal challenges, and movement building. 

Katy Atkiss, Executive Director of TXSC, noted that "while the huge Texas State Highway Fund is dedicated to roads, public transportation in the state has to look to local funding and to scraps of state general appropriations. A robust public transportation system needs a robust, stable source of state funding. The coalition can work with partners to craft and promote a stable funding option", according to Atkiss.

Developing the strategy for Intercity Passenger Rail will be led by Texas Rail Advocates President Peter LeCody, who attended the retreat. He and other coalition committee members will encourage the Texas Department of Transportation to identify transportation issues that would be incorporated into intercity passenger rail development plans.

One of the desired outcomes would be the formation of a TxDOT working group or advisory committee on Intercity Passenger Rail. There are a number of advisory committees at present throughout the agency, including those that support aviation, maritime, bicycle and pedestrians, local public transportation freight and border trade.

However, there is no working group or committee that is dedicated to developing a framework and vision for intercity passenger rail to connect Texas towns and cities, either at conventional speed or higher-speeds. 

"By TxDOT developing a working group or advisory committee, whatever you want to call it,  it would bring together the public and private sector to mold a vision of what an intercity rail network would mean to offer Texans a transportation option as our state continues to grow," said LeCody. "It could mean conventional passenger rail service up to 80 miles per hour or higher-speeds as allowed."

As envisioned, the Texas Streets Coalition strategy would require the Texas Transportation Commission to ask the legislature for a kickstart appropriation request to create an intercity passenger rail program. The program would have the ability to issue grants, working with local, regional, state and federal funding to create intercity rail corridors. 

Atkiss said the goal of TXSC will be to build relationships within and across transportation sectors and Texas regions with elected and appointed officials, other transportation oriented groups and the general public.

Fifteen years ago TxDOT commissioned a study from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute that envisioned what an intercity passenger rail network would look like, ranked by travel demand (see below). The chart shows what progress has been made since the study was completed. 

Photo credit: Texas Rail Advocates