New Main Line between Austin and San Antonio

[CMStPnP]

So again I read somewhere I think it was trainweb that the Texas Legislature approved funds for preliminary engineering in regards to building a UP mainline between Austin, TX and San Antonio.     From what I gather this is former Missouri Pacific and the strategy would be to move frieght trains on this relocated line as well as use it for high speed rail potentially in the future.     For right now though seems to be to free up capacity on the current line for some kind of Commuter Rail Service between the cities.

So did I get the basics on this story or did I get it wrong?

[Anonymous]

The Texas House of Representatives appropriated $91 million for feasibility studies for two rail relocation projects.  One of these is a relocation project that will permit UP through trains to run east of the Capital City.  I am not sure where the other one is located.

The Senate Select Committee on Transportation recommended $91 million for the projects.  But Senate Bill 1, which is the proposed budget for 2010-11, only contains $11.7 million for the two relocation projects.  I believe the bill is on the governor's desk for his acceptance or rejection.  There is talk that the governor may call a special session, in which case the budget will not be authorized until the issues associated with it are resolved.

I am not sure how the routing east of Austin is envisioned.  There is a rail line that runs from Taylor to Elgin, Bastrop, and Sealy, where it connects with the Sunset route.  It appears to parallel State Highway 95.  The map shows an apparent break in the line between Taylor and Elgin.  The plan may be to upgrade this route so that the U.P. through trains can bypass Round Rock, Austin, Buda, San Marcos, New Braunfels, etc.

The Austin San Antonio (ASA) project envisions commuter rail operations from Georgetown, which is approximately 30 miles north of Austin, to Round Rock, over the old MKT route, I believe, then onto Austin and the cities mentioned above to San Antonio.  No dates have been established for the beginning of the service.

PS:  I forgot to note in the original posting that the estimated cost to build or upgrade a route for the UP to use to avoid Austin is in the neighborhood of $1.86 billion.  The UP has said that it will not pay anything toward the re-route.  And it does not look like the state will come up with the money anytime soon.  So the ASA project appears to be a long way down the road.

[videomaker]

Taylor,Elgin,Bastrop and Sealy, This sounds like the old KATY main,Are they planning on rehabbing this portion?

[sunbeam]

The Waco sub from Taylor to Smithville (former Katy) is used by occasional rock trains to Houston, and empties from the Fayette power plant. It would probably require a lot of $$$ to eliminate several tight curves in and around Bastrop, plus the southbound grade from Coupland to Elgin is a train-killer. Then they'd probably want to by-pass Smithville altogether to make a more direct route to the Lockhart sub (again more $$$, plus a lot of NIMBY's in Bastrop County.) It's a nice idea, but Uncle Pete isn't going to put any more money in it, and I'm not sure where the funding would come from. Capital Metro will probably have the old Katy line from Georgetown to Austin up and running before anything happens with rebuilding the Lockhart and Waco subs as the UP San Antonio to Taylor main track.

[videomaker]

Capital Metro will probably have the old Katy line from Georgetown to Austin up and running before anything happens with rebuilding the Lockhart and Waco subs as the UP San Antonio to Taylor main track.

 This is the truest statment I have ever read on this Forum ! As it stands right now,the Waco Sub from Waco to Opal Jct(Temple) speed limit is 10mph  and there are no signs of rehabbing the track anytime soon,in fact Ive heard rumors of UP wanting to sell the Waco sub to anybody ! I dont think the Katy as us older guys knew it will be around much longer...