DFW to Houston: Upcoming Bullet Train Could Reunite Communities

Baby steps are being taken for the Bullet Train that promises to make 240 miles in 90 minutes, with new complications and success in the mix. 

By André Averion, Communications Manager

Published August 14th, 2024.

The proposed bullet train between Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston is moving forward with new routes and developments, and while facing new complications, the bullet train has the potential to connect the two largest Filipino communities in Texas. 

Nearly 100,000 Texans travel between Houston and DFW more than once a week, likely on the deadliest interstate in the nation, and with the state population expected to exceed 40 million by 2050 according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there is a rising need for transportation options as car prices and expenses reach an all-time high. 

Expected to be built within 10 years, the collaborative efforts of TxDOT, Amtrak and Texas Central Railway are constructing a 240 mile long bullet train that will connect two largest state Filipino communities. Condensing the usual 210 minute drive to Houston to only 90 minutes, the project will enhance mobility for Filipino communities, making it easier to visit family, access job opportunities and participate in cultural and social events. It will also support economic growth, educational access and local businesses with promoted tourism while strengthening cultural ties between the communities in these cities.

For communities in DFW, it also means integration into broader regional activities and directly strengthening ties with the larger Filipino network in Texas, as most state-wide Filipino organizations can be found in Houston.

On August 8th the North Central Texas Council of Governments' Regional Transportation Council signed off on an additional $1.6 million towards the budget which will redirect a previously proposed route that would have sacrificed Reunion Tower. Under a new environmental review, the bullet train will go on the outskirts of downtown Dallas and establish a station connecting to both the 90 minute ferry to Houston and a 30 minute trip to Fort Worth, acting separately from the established The Trinity Railway Express. 

The project is expected to be completely electric and incorporate an environment friendly design as laid out by the The Federal Railroad Administration. It will incorporate technology from Japan’s successful bullet train system, and is expected to ferry nearly six million annual passengers by 2029 and more than 13 million by 2050. 

However, the project has faced a series of delays compared to its original completion date of 2020 - with the latest including legal action by 10 counties over nearly $850,000 in unpaid property taxes according to a nonprofit called Texans Against High Speed Rail. A similar event took place in 2022, where over $622,000 in property taxes that were owed in 2020 were not paid off until 2023. The project is also receiving push back from groups like Texans Against High Speed Rails, under the concern that their private property will be infringed upon.

As the project is still in early development and unlike other DFW transit projects, there’s still potential for the project to be canceled. Several factors will influence whether it moves forward, including funding, regulatory approvals, and overall federal support. There are significant potential benefits and interest that would benefit the DFW Filipino Community, but the project still has several challenges to overcome.