December 12, 2023

Congressman Castro Secures $1 Million to Support Expanded Passenger Rail for San Antonio Travelers

SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that he secured $1 million to expand rail service for San Antonio travelers through two $500,000 Corridor Identification and Development awards to the Texas Department of Transportation. The awards, which are authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that Congressman Castro worked to pass in 2021, will allow the Texas Department of Transportation to develop scopes, schedules, and cost estimates for preparing, completing, or documenting service development plans for intercity passenger rail service connecting San Antonio to Houston (San Antonio-Seguin-Flatonia-Rosenberg-Houston) and Houston to Dallas-Fort Worth (Houston-Navasota-College Station-Hearne-Corsicana-Dallas-Fort Worth.)

“Two years ago, I was proud to fight for the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) – the largest investment in passenger rail in half a century,” said Congressman Castro “As the federal government allocates IIJA funding to states and local communities, I’ve been working across the aisle to bring that money home to Texas. The funding announced today will create good-paying jobs, grow our economy, and help more San Antonians get where they need to go. Investments in high-speed rail are investments in cleaner air and faster travel and I’m excited about the prospect of expanded rail service for San Antonio.”

These awards are part of a $2.5 million allocation for rail development in Texas, including support for expanded Amtrak routes serving San Antonio. Earlier this summer, Congressman Castro and House Appropriations Committee chairwoman Kay Granger (TX-12) led a bipartisan letter from more than a dozen members of the Texas congressional delegation in support of the state passenger rail service funding announced today. To learn more about the awards announced today, click here.

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