BigFootsSocks Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) I'm confused lolEdit; you mean JR Central? TCR/TCP is their ticket into the untapped American market. Edited October 18, 2015 by BigFootsSocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 http://www.texascentral.com/2015/10/20/design-build-development-partnership-announced/ Texas Central Partners (Texas Central) has reached another milestone to move our landmark high-speed railway project forward. One of the most important steps to connect the state’s largest metropolitan areas is identifying the right partner to design and conduct the pre-construction work on the project. After an extensive one-year search, I’m excited to say we have an agreement in place with an outstanding company with the right experience and expertise for a project of this magnitude. During our search, we interviewed more than a dozen global construction firms and it came down to three points: understanding, commitment and technical expertise. Today, we announce our selection of Dallas to Houston Constructors (DHC), a joint venture between Archer Western Construction and Ferrovial Agroman US Corp. (FAUS) as our partner. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I'm confused by this, they already selected a GC? I guess there's got to be engineering already underway then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJxvi Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 My father says that when they proposed an HSR in the early 1990s, they determined to be profitable they would have to get everyone off of I-45 from Houston or Dallas (all of them would have to be riding the train), and is convinced that the whole thing is a lot of noise about nothing. Now, there's more population in Texas now, but also ROW is more expensive overall. Remind me again, who's proposing the railroad again? Was it a study paid for by SWA that ignored the fact that most traffic that would switch would be from their own air travel instead of highway traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 My father says that when they proposed an HSR in the early 1990s, they determined to be profitable they would have to get everyone off of I-45 from Houston or Dallas (all of them would have to be riding the train), and is convinced that the whole thing is a lot of noise about nothing. Now, there's more population in Texas now, but also ROW is more expensive overall. Remind me again, who's proposing the railroad again? IT, there's been a lot that has changed since 1990. For example, let's take the population changes since then: DFW MSA (1990): 3,989,294Houston MSA (1990): 3,321,926Total (1990): 7,311,220 DFW MSA (2015): 6,954,330Houston MSA (2015): 6,490,180Total (2015): 13,444,510 (83.9% increase) It's not implausible at all to think that today, you'd be able to find the equivalent ridership of a significant percentage of the 1990 I-45 traffic. The population growth alone since that time would allow for this. Likewise, it's primarily regional air traffic that would switch to this mode of transportation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Also there might be induced commuting demand, especially to Houston if there's a station in Grimes county near College Station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 HOU - DAL was a much bigger part of Southwest's pie in 1990, hence Southwest's opposition to rail at the time. At the time there were flights every half hour throughout the day, with a couple on the quarters thrown in. It was possible for me to get a call at my downtown Houston office from a client in Dallas at 9 AM and to be in their office near Love at 10:30 (certainly no later than 11), and then to return home for dinner - all on planes that were carrying perhaps 70% of a full load, with a stash of drink coupons in my brief case. I also weighed less and had more hair. It was sweet. Now the flight schedule is pretty much just once an hour except for the beginning and end of the business day, with the result that the fares are about 50% more even when adjusted for inflation, plus the planes are generally completely full. Add the time burned in Security Theater and it becomes a royal pain that one has to actually think about rather than just doing. Plus, Southwest is no longer just a regional carrier so this just isn't as big a deal for them these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 When did the air traffic drop so much between Houston and Dallas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 It's been a gradual thing, but on WN it seems like the equipment went to consistently full regardless of the destination or time of day about 5 or so years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 It's been a gradual thing, but on WN it seems like the equipment went to consistently full regardless of the destination or time of day about 5 or so years ago. Guessing that the addition of post-9/11 security, as you mentioned, made the benefit of 30 or 15 minute headways much less apparent. What's the point when you're necessarily going to spend 45-90 minutes at the airport before your flight, anyway? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJxvi Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Telecommunications equipment is also much better now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Some "news" about another leg of the Texas Triangle http://www.houstonpress.com/news/foreign-companies-still-want-to-bring-high-speed-rail-to-texas-7919252 In summary, the Trib is essentially reporting that some foreign companies ... are possibly sneaking around and talking to anonymous Texas officials about undetermined high-speed rail plans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Really snarky write-up by the Houston Press. I'm curious why this is their stance on HSR; mysterious land-owning benefactor, or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 They want a High speed train to Austin from Houston and are annoyed that there isn't being one built 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 The other day in the local rag, there was a full page color ad promoting the TCR. I could probably get a picture of it soon... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Really snarky write-up by the Houston Press. I'm curious why this is their stance on HSR; mysterious land-owning benefactor, or something else? Probably lives or has friends in the Rice Military/Wash Ave corridor. Those folks really don't like the idea, and rationality has not a whole lot to do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Chinese have offered funding for the California high speed rail and also LA to Vegas. No surprise there. Also, Japan China France and Spain are all trying to get in to the budding high speed rail in Southeast Asia as well, India in particular. They're trying to sell the technology and knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Planned-high-speed-rail-line-won-t-come-downtown-6627877.php https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17203 The area around U.S. 290 and Loop 610, anchored by Northwest Mall, is likely to be the end of the line for a proposed Houston-to-Dallas high speed passenger train. The Federal Railroad Administration has eliminated from consideration both of the paths that would have carried the trains to Houston's central business district. The agency is overseeing environmental approvals for the multi-billion-dollar line proposed by Texas Central Partners. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Two alternatives for the Downtown Houston geographic group, DH‐1 and DH‐2, have potential to create significant environmental impacts, thereby resulting in higher per mile costs (TCR’s Last Mile Analysis Report 2015a). Given the cost to build the Downtown Houston potential route alternatives, they do not meet the economic viability of the Project purpose and need. Accordingly, FRA eliminated DH‐1 and DH‐ 2 from further consideration for this Project. Oh well. If bringing the rail into downtown isn't economical, we need to push for a inner Katy line to connect the HSR station with downtown and the med center. With the Uptown bus line, the Galleria will have much better connection with this station than either the med center or downtown. The only question on the station location itself is whether they will finish 290 or finish building the railway first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfastx Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I laughed at "anchored by Northwest Mall." Yeah, that's a signature property right there. Lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 It will be once they make the train station and redevelop the property 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I laughed at "anchored by Northwest Mall." Yeah, that's a signature property right there. Lol. Nothing says "Welcome to Houston" like a dead mall... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdotwill84 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I'm not too upset...this should be great news for the uptown & university line connections to downtown.....right?......right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I can see it now. Hey Buddy. How do I get downtown Houston?Well, whatcha gotta do is get on this bus here, ya see. Take it to the end. Then get on the University Line headed east, ya see. Get off at Wheeler Station. You writing this down? Then you jump on the Red Line heading to downtown. Simple as that. Won't take you more than two hours and your there. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I can see it now. Hey Buddy. How do I get downtown Houston?Well, whatcha gotta do is get on this bus here, ya see. Take it to the end. Then get on the University Line headed east, ya see. Get off at Wheeler Station. You writing this down? Then you jump on the Red Line heading to downtown. Simple as that. Won't take you more than two hours and your there. No doubt there will be a taxi stand. And rental cars. Plus, isn't the Northwest Transit Center about a half mile down the road? I would think there would be a shuttle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Of course there would be those things. And hopefully a more direct rail link too. My point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Oh well. If bringing the rail into downtown isn't economical, we need to push for a inner Katy line to connect the HSR station with downtown and the med center. With the Uptown bus line, the Galleria will have much better connection with this station than either the med center or downtown.The only question on the station location itself is whether they will finish 290 or finish building the railway firstEven if there is an uptown and university line there still needs to be an east/west line from northwest transit center into downtown, something parallel to university line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I can see it now. Hey Buddy. How do I get downtown Houston?Well, whatcha gotta do is get on this bus here, ya see. Take it to the end. Then get on the University Line headed east, ya see. Get off at Wheeler Station. You writing this down? Then you jump on the Red Line heading to downtown. Simple as that. Won't take you more than two hours and your there.At one point there was an idea of a line linking northwest transit center downtown I think on the original 2003 referendum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 No doubt there will be a taxi stand. And rental cars. Plus, isn't the Northwest Transit Center about a half mile down the road? I would think there would be a shuttle. Best case scenario is being located closer to the NW TC in one form or another. The closer the connection the more straight forward it is to board a nice plush P&R bus to either Downtown, Uptown, or the EC. Simply add more buses to the already existing network. One the plush bus network becomes overloaded, then consider other projects. The connection from the station to the NW TC is vitally important--there's no doubt TCP knows this and will provide this connection via People Mover or some other technological means. This area's industrial warehouse days are numbered. N. Post Oak will be vastly changed a decade from now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 So, running a train to downtown creates more "significant environmental impacts" than running all the individual passenger cars to the NW mall?That makes a ton of sense. Right? Right? Yah, right. Some body need to tell Amtrak and metro that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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