A high-speed rail line in China offers a glimpse of what could be possible in Texas. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Karlbrix

State Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, filed a bill this week that would direct the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to enter into a public-private partnership to develop high-speed rail along the I-35 corridor.

Specifically, House Bill 270 would compel TxDOT to enter into a comprehensive development agreement with a private company to build, maintain and operate a line connecting Dallas, Waco, Austin and San Antonio. The legislation specifies that trains would need to be capable of reaching speeds of at least 110 mph.

Bucy’s bill comes months after a Travis County-commissioned feasibility study by infrastructure firm HNTB Corp. found that a high-speed rail line connecting Austin and San Antonio would cost $13.5 billion.

Elected officials and business leaders have explored connecting the Alamo City to the state capital since at least 2015, when the Lone Star Rail District was established to study the idea. Despite the district spending more than $20 million in state and federal funds, no rail was ever laid.

The idea has attracted renewed interest, with grassroots groups including San Antonians for Rail Transit lobbying elected officials to take action.

The 24-member Central Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee — formed in 2024 and made up of elected officials from San Antonio and Austin — also is exploring ways to reduce traffic along I-35. Despite holding a few meetings and issuing press releases, the group has largely been quiet.

Lawmakers will consider Bucy’s bill during the 90th legislative session, which starts Jan. 12. However, the bill likely faces an uphill battle. It will need committee approval and passage in both the House and Senate before reaching Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa’s desk.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...