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New Main Line between Austin and San Antonio

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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.
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