Survey Says: Texans Want a High-Speed Train
In a significant increase from two years ago, 16 million people now travel between Houston and North Texas annually — and an overwhelming majority of Texans say they would like to use a high-speed train as a safe, reliable time-saver for those trips.
These are among the key findings of an updated travel trends study, Transforming Travel in Texas, that analyzed the market the Texas high-speed train will serve. The study, containing new research and analysis conducted by L.E.K. Consulting (L.E.K.), reports that the high-speed train could cut journey times by 60 to 90 minutes on average, making the overall connection between Houston and North Texas faster than air or auto travel.
Texas Central, developers of the high-speed train service, released the updated study, which indicates that the ridership forecast has increased over the last two years. The study now estimates nearly 6 million passengers will use the train annually by 2029 and that ridership will jump to more than 13 million passengers annually by 2050. The 200 mph train will connect the country's fourth and seventh largest economies in 90 minutes, with a stop in the Brazos Valley.
"With Texas' large and continually growing economy and its rapid embrace of new 'mobility as a service' technologies, there could not be a better time for the introduction of a high-speed train service," the study said. The high-speed train will provide a significantly different product compared to cars, which carry 90% of the travelers between Houston and North Texas, with much shorter and more reliable end-to-end journey times, increased comfort and the ability for travelers to be productive during their journey, the study said.
Transforming Travel in Texas updates a similar study published in 2016, and draws on the most technologically advanced research and analysis of this region. This research is based on a broad range of sources and data-collection techniques, including travelers' anonymized and aggregated cell phone data, Bluetooth sensors and publicly available information from the Texas Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The modeling techniques met or exceeded the best practices outlined by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the research was informed by more traveling Texans and more than 3 billion calculations.
The high-speed train would shave an hour or more off total journey times between Greater Houston and North Texas as well as avoid traffic congestion and the delays associated with car and truck accidents, according to the study. On average, journeys with the Texas high-speed train are expected to be at least 90 minutes faster than traveling by car and 60 minutes faster than traveling by plane.
"More Texans are on the move. The study shows again that urban Texans are leaving their cars behind and demanding greater mobility choices, proving travelers want a better and more predictable way to travel. Most of the exponential growth in Texas is happening in these markets and the business and personal connections between them continue to deepen. The Texas high-speed train will give Texans the freedom and time through short, predictable and productive trips," said Tim Keith, chief investment officer for Texas Central.