Feasibility Studies of the Conceptual Novel Elevated High-Speed Rail System with a Case Study in Texas

The high-speed rail system is a powerful rapid transportation tool with significant mobility, financial, and accessibility benefits. The United States is one of the first countries to develop high-speed trains, dating back to 1969. Recently, there has been another wave of inventions and studies of high-speed rail systems, including the California and Texas high-speed rail plans. Among them, the conceptual novel elevated high-speed rail (CNE-HSR) is unique due to its (1) fast construction speed (3 miles per day); (2) elevated design that affords minimal ground field land needs and minimal disruption to existing infrastructure and property, and no displacement of existing communities; (3) independent pods for exclusively nonstop travel and flexible allocation between passenger and cargo needs; and (4) deep last-mile reach. This seed grant project will conduct feasibility studies of CNE-HSR with a case study in Texas along the Houston-San Antonio corridor. Transportation, land use, socioeconomic, and other information will be collected with the assistance of local transportation agencies. The retrieved information will be fully employed to test the identified assessment tools for studies of impacts on the regional economy, housing and real estate development, job market growth, as well as socioeconomic progress. The research team will conduct engagement activities to incorporate advisory comments from policymakers, planners, engineers, community leaders, and others. Eventually, this project will develop recommendations and implementation strategies for the evaluated CNE-HSR system in Texas.