The Federal Railroad Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation have begun work on an environmental impact statement for the Texas Central Railway, a 240-mile high-speed rail system between Houston and Dallas.

Robert Eckels, president of Texas Central Railway, said the FRA and TxDOT issued a notice of intent June 25 to begin the environmental study. Three routes are being considered for the train, Eckels said, including rights of way along I-45, north along Hwy. 249 through Tomball and along a Union Pacific path along Hwy. 290. Stops are being considered near Bryan College Station and possibly along Beltway 8 or the Grand Parkway.

"All [routes] have their strengths," Eckels said. "The main thing we're looking for is the cost of construction and to minimize the impact on the communities."

Depending on how long the environmental process takes, Eckels said the project could break ground by the end of 2016 or early in 2017.

About four years ago, Japan-based JP Central Railway worked with the US Japan High Speed Rail Association to examine 97 different city pairs on possible locations for a privately funded high-speed rail project. Houston and Dallas were selected as the best possible city pairing, Eckels said, because of the high population between the two metropolitan areas, the flat land in between, existing rights of way options and friendly business environments between the two cities.

Eckels said the project will not be constructed with federal or state funding. Instead a number of private investors would fund the multi-billion dollar project through debt and equity and be repaid through ticket sales.

Eckels said a car trip from Houston to Dallas along I-45 today is roughly four hours and could increase to six hours by 2035. Not only could the high-speed rail be an alternative to additional taxpayer-funded construction along I-45, but he said he believes it will aid in economic growth in Texas.

"Both the Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth areas are the big economic drivers for Texas," Eckels said. "This will make it so much easier to capitalize on the assets in both communities and continue economic growth for Texas."