MINEOLA, Texas — Imagine being able to travel to the east coast from East Texas by train. Well, that could soon be a possibility.
Smith County officials are supporting the I-20 corridor long-distance passenger rail route between DFW and Atlanta, Georgia.
"We are along the route, and we will benefit from the development of this route," said Chairman of the I-20 Corridor Council Richard Anderson.
Anderson says if this idea becomes a reality, it could boost the East Texas economy.
"Tourism is a very important part of the Texas economy," Anderson said.
The rail line would connect Marshall to Meridian, Mississippi, a route that only exists by railroads. The council is now moving towards the next step as part of a federal funding project which will be the largest rail development project in 50 years.
"Which takes us forward into the actual construction of the project and that’s all result of the passage in November of 2021 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," Anderson said.
This project is also gaining support from officials in East Texas. Smith County Judge Neal Franklin wrote a letter to the transportation department for his support in a grant made by the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) on behalf of the I-20 Corridor Council.
"I had written to Pete Buttigieg, and we were showing our support of ETCOG, East Texas Council of Governments, in their grant application," Franklin said.
Anderson said this partnership is vital to make this project a reality. Once the rail system is in place, the I-20 Corridor Council would like to add freight transportation in addition to passengers.
At this time, there is not an estimation of how much this project would cost or an estimation of how long it will take to build.