The big picture
An initiative long championed by Travis County Judge Andy Brown, the study will evaluate car-alternative passenger rail options using land already managed by the state along major highways and interstates between the two cities, including existing rail infrastructure, with potential service options from the Amtrak station in San Antonio to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
The theoretical path would run from downtown Austin to the east along Hwy. 71 past the airport, south down SH 130 and pop back west into San Antonio along I-10, Brown said. He noted the study is currently only expected to look at SH 130 and I-10, with Hwy. 71 posing additional complications.
Brown said proponents of a commuter line have long hoped to partner with Union Pacific—which operates existing freight lines along I-35—to bring passenger rail service to the area, but the company has prioritized freight operations.
He explained the new study will examine how a passenger rail line could fit within existing transportation corridors without requiring significant private land acquisition, making a route between Williamson and Travis Counties and Bexar County more feasible and potentially faster to develop.
“If we got on it quickly, we can build it before I-35 construction is finished,” Brown said.
The study is expected to take 175 days, and it will cover project management, engineering, visibility estimates and a summary report.
Quote of note
“As we look at the way that Austin and San Antonio are merging as a metroplex, it is important, particularly when you have projects like I-35 [reconstruction], that we can create public transit options,” Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion said.
Some context
Brown and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai created the Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee in early 2024 to advocate for federal investment and the expansion of passenger rails across Central Texas.
"If we had a great service between here and San Antonio that left several times a day that was quick and efficient and safe, I've seen a study that says we would take 25% of the traffic off of I-35 between [Austin] and San Antonio,” Brown said in late 2024.
With the Austin-San Antonio corridor among the nation’s fastest-growing regions—expected to top 8 million residents by 2050—local leaders say new rail infrastructure is essential to ease mounting pressure on the area’s transportation network.
“The Austin-San Antonio Regional gross domestic product grew by 48.1%, or $125.1 billion, in the past five years and is likely to continue at a similar rate. This tremendous growth and economic development provide opportunities, while also placing significant strain on existing infrastructure,” a letter from the advisory committee to the Texas Legislature states. “Employers cite affordability, housing and transportation as key challenges to securing the workforce they need. The addition of new passenger rail between our communities will help develop a robust workforce pipeline across the Austin-San Antonio megaregion.”
Zooming out
The county’s initiative is intended to compliment an existing Texas Department of Transportation study underway evaluating approximately 45 miles along the I-35 corridor from SH 45 SE near Buda to Cibolo Valley Drive just outside of San Antonio's Northeast Side—following the existing Union Pacific freight line, Brown said.
The I-35 study developed and analyzed 11 preliminary alternatives for the corridor, as current traffic volumes exceed the existing design configuration, according to TxDOT documents.
The proposed alternatives—which include general purpose lanes, HOV lanes, truck-only lanes, commuter lines or a combination of lane types—will continue to be reviewed and refined as the project moves forward. No final decisions have been made, a spokesperson for the agency said, noting each option still requires federally-mandated environmental review, schematic design and detailed planning before it could be implemented.
According to county staff, TxDOT’s study is expected to wrap up in March 2026.
One more thing
Of the proposed alternatives, a passenger rail lane is being considered as a transportation mode, which would see the construction of a rail system in place of, or in addition to, added vehicle lanes.
TxDOT held multiple public input open houses throughout 2024, gathering 174 comments from community members. According to TxDOT documents, rail was the top-ranked alternative, followed by bus and other transit lanes, HOV lanes, and freight lanes.
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Agency, the region’s transportation planning organization, has also expressed interest in multimodal lane options along the corridor. Local officials, including New Braunfels council member Andrés Campos-Delgado, voiced concerns about adding more vehicular lanes to I-35 and supported rail as an alternative.
According to the 2024 TxDOT Rail Plan, which outlines the agency’s priorities through 2050, the agency is pursuing federal funding to evaluate a potential rail corridor connecting the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Austin, San Antonio and Houston—known as the Texas Triangle.
