While a lot of attention has been paid to the plans in the works for a commuter rail line from south of San Antnoio to north of Austin through the Lone Star Rail District, U.S. Rep Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) is working with officials in the U.S. and Mexico on another rail proposal...a passenger line from San Antonio through Laredo to Monterrey, News Radio 1200 WOAI has learned.
Cuellar told News Radio 1200 WOAI's Michael Board that he is confident that the project 'will happen.'
"I've talked to some folks here in San Antonio like Sea World and Fiesta Texas and they love the idea," Cuellar said. "That would mean there there would be millions of new customers who could get here in just a couple of hours."
New attention is being placed on long distance rail transportation in Texas with the growth in population and concerns about the clean air impact of building new highways to accommodate millions more vehicles.
In addition to the Lone Star Rail District, a Chinese group is working to raise money for a high speed rail link between Dallas and Houston.
"Move people. move them fast, and move them in a secure way," Cuellar said. "This would also encourage people in Texas to go to Mexico."
He points out that in Monterrey, travelers could connect to a super modern multi lane highway to the Pacific Coast, as well as fast and modern rail services through Mexico into Central and South America.
Cuellar says the main reason why Texans don't travel to Mexico is they don't want to have to drive through the border area which is largely controlled by drug cartels. He points out that when you get past the border area, violent crime rates are comparable to, and in many cases lower than crime rates in Texas, and far lower than tropical destinations like Jamaica which many Texans have adopted as an alternative to Mexico.
Cuellar has had talks with U.S., Texas, and Mexico transportation planners. There is no word yet on a potential timetable, cost, or how the funding to build the rail link would be paid for.
Cuellar told News Radio 1200 WOAI's Michael Board that he is confident that the project 'will happen.'
"I've talked to some folks here in San Antonio like Sea World and Fiesta Texas and they love the idea," Cuellar said. "That would mean there there would be millions of new customers who could get here in just a couple of hours."
New attention is being placed on long distance rail transportation in Texas with the growth in population and concerns about the clean air impact of building new highways to accommodate millions more vehicles.
In addition to the Lone Star Rail District, a Chinese group is working to raise money for a high speed rail link between Dallas and Houston.
"Move people. move them fast, and move them in a secure way," Cuellar said. "This would also encourage people in Texas to go to Mexico."
He points out that in Monterrey, travelers could connect to a super modern multi lane highway to the Pacific Coast, as well as fast and modern rail services through Mexico into Central and South America.
Cuellar says the main reason why Texans don't travel to Mexico is they don't want to have to drive through the border area which is largely controlled by drug cartels. He points out that when you get past the border area, violent crime rates are comparable to, and in many cases lower than crime rates in Texas, and far lower than tropical destinations like Jamaica which many Texans have adopted as an alternative to Mexico.
Cuellar has had talks with U.S., Texas, and Mexico transportation planners. There is no word yet on a potential timetable, cost, or how the funding to build the rail link would be paid for.
With rising incomes in Mexico, individual tourist travel has reached record highs, and travel to the U.S., where many Mexican citizens have relatives, would be a huge boost for the U.S. economy.
Read more: http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-sponsored-by-five-119078/commuter-rail-line-proposed-between-san-14126010/#ixzz3rgNFuurk
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