Bullet Train Update

Jump on board at public meeting for high-speed train from Dallas to Houston

If you're a Dallas-Fort Worth resident interested in learning more about the high-speed rail project between Dallas and Houston, you'll get your chance on Tuesday.

A meeting seeking input from the public will take place October 21, from 4:30 to 8 pm, at the Dallas Infomart (1950 N. Stemmons Fwy.). Dallas is one of six cities where public meetings are being held by the Federal Railroad Administration and TxDOT.

The October 21 meeting will kick off with an open house, followed by a 30-minute presentation and an hour of public comment.

The two agencies are preparing an environmental impact statement for the 240-mile high-speed rail project from Dallas to Houston proposed by the Texas Central High-Speed Railway, a private company that has been developing plans for the train system since 2009.

Using the same Japanese bullet train model as the one that connects Tokyo and Osaka, Texas Central says the train would reach speeds of 205 miles per hour and complete the Dallas-Houston route in just 90 minutes.

The company plans to raise $10 billion in private capital to fund the line, which would provide an alternative to flying or driving on I-45.

The October 21 meeting will kick off with an open house from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, followed by a 30-minute presentation and an hour of public comment. The hearing comes in the midst of the project's environmental impact study, which will examine construction and operation effects of a high-speed rail system. The study will include an evaluation of the presumed method (a sealed high-speed rail corridor) as well as alternatives.

After Dallas, federal and state authorities will hold meetings along the proposed route in Corsicana, Teague, Bryan, Hunstville and Houston. In a statement, officials said they welcomed comments "regarding alternative alignments and station locations, as well as any significant social, economic or environmental impacts" related to the rail project.

The privately funded Texas Central Railway would connect DFW and Houston, cutting travel time to only 90 minutes.

Central Rail high-speed bullet train rail

Photo courtesy of JR Central

The privately funded Texas Central Railway would connect DFW and Houston, cutting travel time to only 90 minutes.

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Where the Bison Roam

Popular Texas Panhandle park expands with 2,200 more acres to explore

Popular Texas state park expands with massive 2,200-acre acquisition

Caprock Canyons has 2,200 more acres to explore.

A popular state park in the Texas Panhandle that's known for its roaming bison population is getting a major expansion after recent land acquisitions by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, located at 850 State Park Rd. in Quitaque, approximately an hour-and-a-half north of Lubbock, has added approximately 2,200 acres. It will now encompass 17,500 total acres of the Caprock Escarpment in Briscoe County, according to a press release.

TPWD first expanded the park with the purchase of the 1,066-acre Rocking W Ranch in 2024, and then the department acquired the 1,120-acre Hawkins Ranch in January 2026.

"The Hawkins Ranch is the last piece of property to the west [of the park] that protects our viewshed of the canyon and affects our watershed," said Superintendent Donald Beard in the release. "The Rocking W Ranch was also important because it expands the park to the northwest, allowing the Texas State Bison Herd potential access to the high plains."

The release said a 5,000-square-foot, fully furnished "barndominium" was included in the purchase of the Rocking W Ranch property, and it will be used for "future family-style retreats for activities like hiking and horseback riding."

Park visitors have access to more than 90 miles of trails at Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and bison-watching. Lake Theo, a 120-acre lake on the south side of the park, is open for swimming, fishing, and no-wake boating.

Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway TPWD encourages visitors to take caution when observing bison.Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Wildlife enthusiasts can search for bats roosting in the Clarity Tunnel, an abandoned railroad tunnel that 500,000 Mexican free-tailed bats call home from late April through mid-October. TPWD said even more local wildlife can be found by visitors with the acquisition of the Hawkins Ranch, such as quail, mule deer, coyotes, bobcats, and more.

The park is also a designated International Dark Sky Park, meaning overnight campers have unobstructed views of the stars in the sky thanks to light pollution reduction and prevention efforts.

"At night, Caprock Canyons transforms into one of the darkest and most awe-inspiring skies in Texas," the International Dark Sky Association said. "Far from urban light pollution, the park’s remote location allows visitors to experience an exceptional view of the Milky Way, countless constellations, and celestial events in their purest form."

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