AUSTIN, Texas — Travis County Commissioners unanimously approved a study that will examine the possibility of linking Austin to San Antonio via a high-speed commuter rail.
On Tuesday, county commissioners agreed on the $124,953 study from HNTB Corporation, an engineering company, that will explore current rail infrastructure and potential service options along state highways and interstate regions.
The proposed commuter rail would run between State Highway 130 and Interstate 10, likely easing commuting between the two cities.
“This is really exciting,” Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea (Precinct 2) said during Tuesday’s commissioners meeting. “People are just ecstatic about the prospect because nobody likes being stuck on I-35, and it’s gonna get worse with all the construction.”
According to a transit plan from Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), without major travel behavior changes, the number of miles traveled daily by motor vehicles in the state is projected to grow by 42% between 2020 and 2050, increasing delays by around 12 to 36 minutes.
TxDOT is also working on a separate study looking to add a passenger line to the current railway that runs near Interstate 35. However, the line, owned by Union Pacific, already services freight trains, posing a potential conflict for additional passenger lines.
This alternative line would extend for around 80–90 miles between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and downtown San Antonio. The feasibility study is expected to be completed in March 2026.