TEXAS, USA — The East Texas Council of Government's Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) and the City of Longview announced the 1-20 Corridor Intercity Passenger Rail Service was selected for the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program (CIDP) Tuesday afternoon.
The dream to one day ride a train in East Texas and travel hundreds of miles across the country could soon be coming true for future generations. The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded $500,000 to the research of the I-20 Corridor Intercity Passenger Rail Service project that would pass through the cities of Marshall, Longview, and Mineola.
"East Texas is the perfect route for this project, allowing the development of new services to align on existing infrastructure," said Leward LaFleur, Judge of Marion County and Chairman of the RTPO. "That is the pre-phase one. So, they're doing the studies and making sure that everything is (good) so that we can get into the actual step one where we get some in the billions of dollars of federal money."
For nearly 17 years, many advocated for this long-distance passenger rail that will connect Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta, Georgia, and go through Mineola, Longview, Marshall, Texas, and northern Louisiana.
"Improving East Texas' infrastructure and connecting the First District to metropolitan areas along I-20 is an essential effort for ensuring long-term growth and prosperity. This investment will help better position Mineola, Longview, and Marshall for future economic opportunities and growth. I have seen firsthand the positive effects of investing in our railroads, and I will continue to work with our local leaders to advocate for programs that better our infrastructure and strengthen our economy," said Congressman Nathaniel Moran.
"This is outstanding news for our region and all communities along the I-20 Corridor. The east-west connection across our southern region will bring significant benefits to both urban and rural areas. We thank all who have dedicated themselves to reaching this important milestone," said Bill Stoudt, Gregg County Judge.
The I-20 Corridor project is classified under the FRA's New Conventional Rail category, operating at speeds of up to 79-125 mph, primarily on existing rail alignments shared with other railroad operations.
The director of operations for the city of Longview's Transit System Tequita Dudley was in attendance for the announcement. She’s glad to see this progress in connecting East Texas cities to other parts of the country.
"It's important for us because we know that transportation is valuable and is needed in this area," Dudley said. "The corridor to Atlanta is a hard drive for some people and to have transportation where you can sit back, relax, and take a train to Atlanta would be amazing."
Funding for the grant was allocated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021. The IIJA allocated $66 billion for rail, including $16 billion for long-distance passenger rail routes, such as the 1-20 Corridor.
The grant was Step 1 of the program. Now, the Southern Rail Commission for the Department of Transportation will study the corridor to decide its eligibility to move forward with construction.
The representatives also mentioned how this system is for the future generation of East Texans as an opportunity to travel to the DFW Metroplex without the worry of highway traffic.
"Once it's implemented I think the folks will see the benefits of how much different it is to ride on a passenger rail rather than a take a vehicle," LeFleur said. "We're humbled and honored to be able to say that this is the project, they've got their thumb on it, and we just we're ready to move forward."
At this moment, there is not an estimated time when the study will be complete.