The idea of connecting Austin, San Antonio and the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon via rail is chugging forward — again.
On Monday, the Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee — the group vying for a high-speed rail line between the Alamo City and the state capital — held its monthly meeting. This time, the gathering took place on Amtrak’s Texas Eagle, which runs once-a-day service between the two cities.
The group, which includes Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, Travis County Judge Andy Brown and San Antonio District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, departed San Antonio’s Amtrak station shortly before 7 a.m. They arrived in Austin around 9 a.m.
Judges Sakai and Brown launched the 24-member Texas Passenger Rail Committee in March in hopes of revitalizing the decades-old idea of connecting San Antonio and Austin via a train line.
“I enjoyed traveling to Austin by train,” Sakai said at a press conference after the train ride to Austin. “It is a great way to avoid the traffic that typically makes driving on I-35 such a challenge.”