The Texas Bullet Train has taken a series of significant steps forward over the past few weeks, marked by the addition of Bechtel to its project management team and agreements with Amtrak, including an arrangement that will give riders a one-stop shop for tickets on both systems.
Texas Central, the project developers, said Bechtel will be an extension of the team providing project management for the innovative, investor-led project as it moves from the pre-construction to implementation phase. Bechtel has completed more than 300 major train and subway projects, including the Channel Tunnel High Speed 1, Crossrail in London, Riyadh Metro and Dulles Corridor Metrorail in the Washington, D.C., area.
The addition of Bechtel, is another sign of the world-class infrastructure expertise this project is attracting and leveraging. The 200 mph train will connect Houston and North Texas in 90 minutes, with a midway stop in the Brazos Valley.
In another important step in the progress of the Texas Bullet Train, Texas Central reached agreement with Amtrak, which will allow passengers to use Amtrak’s reservation system to buy a single ticket to travel on both the Texas Bullet Train and Amtrak’s national routes.
Currently, it’s not possible for train passengers to purchase a trip ticket that includes multiple operators. Under this new arrangement, for example, passengers would be able to purchase a single train ticket in North Texas and take an impromptu trip to New Orleans. Or an energy corridor worker could travel between Oklahoma and Houston on a single ticket.
This shows the commitment Texas Central has to ensuring Bullet Train passengers are able to easily reach their destination whether it is as part of the national rail network, cars, rideshare, transit or other services. Texas Central will provide a convenient transfer service connecting riders between Amtrak passenger stations and the high-speed train stations in Dallas and Houston. It gives both local and interstate travelers more options and ease of travel not previously available.
Lastly, the newest generation of the high-speed train, the 6th version – the N700 Supreme – was recently previewed in Japan. The Texas Bullet Train will realize all the benefits of its latest improvements which include its significantly lighter weight and improved aerodynamics. The new train has even better energy efficiency, a quieter ride and fewer vibrations, resulting in less impact on materials and the environment.
