Part 4 of Chapter 4 of my Rail for America proposal; find all chapters here.This is far from th

Part 4 of Chapter 4 of my Rail for America proposal; find all chapters here.This is far from the first rail proposal to discuss the concept of the “Texas Triangle”—namely, the layout of the state’s three largest metropolitan areas of Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston. Some proposals have suggested a triangle of three direct routes, while others have suggested a “T-Bone” with all routes meeting at a central point such as Waco. Here, I’m advocating for the best of both worlds—high-speed routes along the edges of the triangle with a slower-speed route connecting Waco to Houston, thereby providing both directness and interconnectivity. (This was mostly because of the in-progress Texas Central Railway, which isn’t easily compatible with a purely T-Bone network.) I’ve emphasized Fort Worth as the northern hub rather than Dallas, in part because of existing tracks and services and in part simply because it’s an easier endpoint for routes from San Antonio and Oklahoma.High-speed services:Fort Worth - Dallas - Houston. The planned Texas Central Railway with the proposed Core Express extension to Fort Worth.Fort Worth - Waco - Austin - San Antonio. Following part of the route of the current Texas Eagle, this corridor is a no-brainer.San Antonio - Houston. While there are no intermediate cities, this corridor is short enough for an effective nonstop high-speed service.Regional services:Fort Worth - Oklahoma City - Tulsa. A combination of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer with the proposed Eastern Flyer, bridging one gap between Texas and the Midwest.Fort Worth - Dallas - Texarkana - Little Rock - Memphis. As described in a previous post.Fort Worth - Waco - Houston - Galveston. Connecting Houston to the intermediate parts of the Fort Worth - San Antonio corridor.Fort Worth - Waco - Austin - San Antonio - Corpus Christi. An extension of the Fort Worth - San Antonio corridor to the Gulf of Mexico.Fort Worth - Waco - Austin - San Antonio - Matamoros. An extension of the Fort Worth - San Antonio corridor to to the Mexican border.Fort Worth - Waco - Austin - San Antonio - Reynosa. An extension of the Fort Worth - San Antonio corridor to the Mexican border.Fort Worth - Waco - Austin - San Antonio - Nuevo Laredo. An extension of the Fort Worth - San Antonio corridor to to the Mexican border.Houston - Baton Rouge - New Orleans. As described in a previous post.Rail for America homepage -- source link

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