Additional Rail Service May Come to East Texas

KILGORE – Harrison County Judge Richard Anderson announces receiving a letter of intent from Amtrak officials that TxDOT and Amtrak will soon be requesting the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) to move forward with a feasibility study for additional passenger rail services along the 1-20 / US 59 corridors in East Texas. According to KETK, Anderson is the East Texas Corridor Council’s (ETCC) governmental affairs chair. The information comes in a news release from the East Texas Council of Governments.

A letter from Amtrak’s Vice President, Transportation, Richard Phelps, received on August 17, states an agreement should be reached in the next several weeks to finalize reimbursement of capacity modeling expenses during the study. Phelps states Amtrak is fully prepared to then finalize an agreement with TxDOT and progress with the feasibility study. At that time, officials say, UP will also be able to provide Amtrak and TxDOT with an estimated timing for completion of its portion of the study, which will permit Amtrak to progress with the development of the scope and cost of capital expenditures that may be required to begin the service. This will also include an analysis of projected ridership and revenues for the new service.

“Not since the reintroduction of passenger rail service to East Texas in 1974 has TxDOT, Amtrak and the public need all been in agreement on the importance of moving forward with this project,” says ETCC Chair Tim Vaughn. “This is the most significant event in passenger rail service in East Texas since 1974,” says Anderson.