How a new Central Texas committee will focus on expanding passenger rail service

Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai are spearheading new conversations with state transportation and rail leaders to expand passenger rail services in Texas.

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai are spearheading new conversations with state transportation and rail leaders to expand passenger rail services in Texas.

Expanding passenger rail in Texas has faced many hurdles, but the new Central Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee is a way to speed up that conversation.

The committee includes people from Amtrak, people all over the state and other county judges who are interested in expanding passenger service generally in Texas, Brown said.

The committee is looking at more options to connect San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston.

"So instead of one trip a day, it'd be five to 10 trips per day. We're working with Union Pacific to see, because it's their track -- and we have to work with them. Bright Line is a private company in Florida that has passenger rail on a freight line there," he said.

Joseph Black, WSP director of rail operations and also a member of the committee, told KXAN he is exploring other options.

"Frankly, we can't possibly pour enough concrete to keep up with the growth," Black said.

Unlike efforts in the past, this committee gathers leadership from across cities and states to work toward a unified goal.

"The more space we give to the highways, the less space we have for other kinds of human activities," Black said. "Despite all of the kind of the enthusiasm was a political champion, I think like a true political champion, who would be willing to take this to the legislature to other elected officials in the way that Judge Brown has been doing such a great job with so far."

Any project would have to be paid for by local and state government, as well as federal government, which recently earmarked $8 billion for rail projects.

The committee will meet again on June 3.