Texas Central Railway announces preferred route for high speed rail

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The company building a proposed high speed rail line from Houston to Dallas is narrowing down its preferred choice for the line. Texas Central Railway, the company funding the project, told the Federal Railroad Administration it prefers a route that would enter downtown Houston via the rail lines near the Katy Freeway.

This route differs from the route that would run through Oak Forest and Garden Oaks, two of the neighborhoods most outspoken against the rail line.

The company's ideal option that would take advantage of existing train tracks and utility lines along Hempstead Highway, then along the tracks between I-10 and Washington Avenue.

Many of the neighbors we spoke with in Washington Heights didn't seem to concerned about the high speed train, especially since many of them are already used to trains rolling through their area.

"It couldn't be much louder than the train, it doesn't bother me," Karen Ousley said.

The Federal Railroad Administration will look at all proposed routes and make a recommendation. The project is still years away, with a projected 2021 opening date.