HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In 2020, Texas Central, the developer of the Texas bullet train, hopes to break ground on the line that would take riders from Houston to Dallas in less than 90 minutes.
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Texas Central is waiting on two federal approvals before it can break ground on the project.
Once work begins, there's a five to six year construction timeline, which could put the train in operation as soon as 2026.
The project has a $20 billion price tag backed entirely by private investors.
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Texas Central says it will provide 10,000 jobs in the process and $36 billion in economic benefit, but not without controversy and an ongoing debate about eminent domain.
Also happening this year, the newest version of the bullet train, the Japanese Shinkansen N700S, will debut ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
Sixteen million trips are made between Houston and North Texas each year, and the project aims to cut down on I-45 traffic.
MORE ON THE TEXAS BULLET TRAIN:
First look inside Texas Bullet Train shows no middle seats
Northwest Mall picked as station site
History of Texas bullet train project
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