Texas Exploring Houston-to-Austin High-Speed Rail Line

Do not argue that rail infrastructure should be privatized and not government subsidized unless you're willing to make the same argument about road infrastructure. The gas/vehicle taxes only account for approximately half of the cost to build/maintain roads. The rest is subsidized by the government.

Why Houston to Austin?? Is there a big need for that??

Maybe they need to take a look at the ridership on Austin's Metro Rail before they spend any more money on a rail system, high speed or not. Driving Hwy. 183 into downtown Austin from Leander, 24 miles NW of Austin city limits is a frustrating, time consuming chore. At certain times of the day you can drive or take the express bus in less time than taking rail.

I know a lot of people that ride th bus in the morning and take the train home in the evening. Even so ridership is NOT what Capitol Metro expected.

This would be as useless as #$%$ on a boar hog !!! And it would mean that a lot of landowners would lose land due to the iminent(?) domain used to take the land needed instead of paying a fair price for it......

We don't have enough people to support a $1B boondoogle that will be more like $5B at the end of the day. You won't get there THAT much faster or that much cheaper than flying/driving.

So the useless, Perry inspired toll road debacle around Austin is not working, they think they need a high-speed rail now? What a crock! You got the wrong direction on the brain TxDOT. Houston to Austin is not where it's needed folks and I make that commute every other week. The rail needs to be from the North or the DFW area to extreme South or Harlingen/Brownsville area. Certainly Austin/San Antonio & the Waco area will be the only stops to keep them minimal. Throw in a couple of freight cars while you are at it and you got a winner.

Its worth a look, Dallas to Houston seems more logical to me splitting it to Ft. Worth and Dallas.

Rail planner need to understand that the trains need to go someplace people want to.

S-o-o-o-o-o Republican Texas is all for the Obama high speed rail, eh? Hmmmm. As long as Indiana, California, New Mexico, Arizon, Delaware, Illinois, and New York are paying for it, eh?

Great idea: now we can rapidly transport all the Houston rift to Austin to trade thier wares (dope, prostitution, neighborhood burglars, gun toting 7-eleven robers ----) -- and all at the expense of Americas tax payers --- Who-o-o-o-o-opie!

we had a rail system going from houston to galveston that shut down a few years ago. maybe this rail system is for politicians, that would give them plenty of time to booze it up. on the way to austin

No state funds for the rail. We can help ease the planning, give some tax breaks but NO MONEY! It will either self sustain from the git go or it dies on the planning table

I think we shoudl look at rail from all partss of the area and graw as it is used and expansion. it would be great to have high speed rail from huntsville to houston with different stops and columbus to houston with different stops galveston...beaumont think about it and the traffic it would take away as well

Leaving from Houston, by the time you drive to the RR station I assume will be in downtown, park and wait for and board the train (assuming it is on time), you could just stay in your car and drive to Austin in the same amount of time. Even with gas prices, the car will be cheaper for just one person, much less a car full of people. Everything is bigger in Texas, even white elephants.

we must build the railroad and import workers from china and ireland to do it. it may save people an hour each way so it is worthe the billions to build

good for future generation from high fuel price, growth of population, hassle from the TSA,

It should be private not government. If private investors can make a return they will do it. The government funded one will be a boondoggle. Let Demand and private capital decide. Period.

Just take an airplane. So much easier and faster.

We don't need high speed rail. We want a fast reliable rail. 100 mph with no between stops would be nice. Cheap fares.

Questionable...should be a triangle...Dallas/Ft. Worth to Austin...Austin to Houston...Houston to DFW....NOW that would be a rail system...and yes down to the valley since the New World Order wants their to be an artery from Mexico to Canada, only stopping in the US to have babies, and take taxpayer money and take citizens jobs...this HSRS will employ millions of illegals...and your young legal sons and daughters will only find jobs by going off to war.