The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration has releases its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the Texas Bullet Train project highlighting a preferred route between North Texas and Houston, and passenger station locations.
FRA’s analysis, completed after nearly four years of work, provides a path for the high-speed train’s planning, design and pre-construction phases, and it ensures the safety and environmental well being of counties and communities along the 386-km route.
The DEIS, the result of an extensive, public process required for major infrastructure projects, starts the consultation process that will allow the Bullet Train to link the state’s two largest urban and economic centers in a travel time of less than 90 minutes, with a midway stop in the Brazos Valley
The U.S. Department of Transportation said that the DEIS is a major milestone in the permitting process of the train.
“Safe, accessible and efficient regional rail systems are an important component in the transportation networks of many areas,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said.
The DEIS analysed six end-to-end build alternatives as well as the no-build alternative. The build alternatives included a terminal station in Dallas and an intermediate station in Grimes County near College Station, home of Texas A&M University. The DEIS also evaluated three Houston terminal station options: the Industrial Site terminal, the Northwest Mall terminal, and the Northwest Transit Center terminal.
The assessment is the latest major advancement by the train, including the recent selection of Irving, Texas-based Fluor Enterprises Inc. and The Lane Construction Corp. as the preferred design-build team, with WSP USA conducting engineering work on their behalf.
Texas Central CEO Carlos Aguilar said the design/build teams, which have domestic and international rail experience, will use the DEIS findings to incorporate more details into planning, cost and scheduling. Their work will address remaining environmental issues in the best way possible and avoid conflicts with existing infrastructure, such as roads, transmission lines and subsurface utilities.
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