When developing a project as complex as a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, it's beneficial to have backers in high places.
Carlos Aguilar, CEO of Dallas-based Texas Central developing the project, said the company has the support of possibly one of the highest backers — President-Elect Joe Biden.
"He is a fanatic of trains," Aguilar said, noting Biden's decades-long practice of riding an Amtrak train between his home in Delaware and Washington, D.C. "He understands what this is about. He is supportive of high-speed rail and he actually has shown support for our project, as well. I think all those aspects are important and coming together for that dialogue that we have to have with this administration and the next."
Aguilar made the comments Tuesday during a North Dallas Chamber of Commerce Surface Transportation Committee meeting after being asked about whether COVID-19 has affected investor appetite for project.
A Biden spokesperson did not return a request for comment.
Despite laying off a significant portion of the company's employees when the pandemic started this spring, Texas Central has gained momentum throughout 2020. The company recently cleared key regulatory hurdles from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Now, the company is working with the Surface Transportation Board to obtain construction permits.
Because this would be the first solely-dedicated high-speed rail line in the U.S., it's not clear how long it will take Texas Central to complete the approval process with the STB.
To learn how long Aguilar thinks it’ll take for the train to become operational, and how the company will pay for the project, see the rest of the story here.
