Houston-Galveston passenger rail

[eastsider]

Studies are being done to see how feasible it would be to have a passenger rail service linking Houston and Galveston. Unoin Pacific currently owns the line between the Galveston Island Bridge and Houston so cordinating a passenger service could be to biggest obsticle in the plan. Only 6-8 freight trains use the majority of the line a day, but 40 or more use a 3-4 mile segment at the northern end of the line. One proposal is the pay for upgrade to the rail line in exchange for Union Pacific allowing them to use the right of way.

The group of consultants, engineers and planners envisions a train running from an as-yet-undecided station in Houston at 59 mph along the 140-year-old Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad, said consultant Barry Goodman, Goodman Corp. president.

The passenger line would make four to six stops before arriving at the Galveston Railroad Museum, housed in the former Galveston passenger terminal. Debarking passengers would exit through the museum to board a trolly, electric bus, horse-drawn carriage or cruiseship shuttle.

Goodman, whose company is leading the study, said Galveston plans to build a transportation hub next to the railroad museum to allow connections with buses and taxis.