Riding the Texas Eagle Between Austin and San Antonio

On a Sunday night, nearly 50 passengers, carting luggage, briefcases, and bicycles, stood in line to board the Texas Eagle, Amtrak’s train running from Chicago to San Antonio. The rail makes just one round trip a day from Austin to San Antonio, leaving San Antonio early in the morning and returning late at night.

On the train, most of the seats were full. Sleeping passengers stretched out across benches, many of whom had been traveling for days, from Chicago or St. Louis. In the dining car, fitted with tables, benches, and a bar, the energy was high. One woman, visiting Austin from Philadelphia, said she was shocked at the inefficient system. In Philadelphia, she said, people commute into New York City every day on the train. Another nearby passenger was similarly disappointed by her commute; she lives in San Antonio for a more affordable cost of living, but goes to school in Austin. 

But for many, the Texas Eagle doesn’t provide reliable commuter service. Its timing is inconvenient at best for day-trippers, and it runs on time a mere 56% of the time. And yet, it’s the only train connecting two of the country’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.

I-35 is one of the state’s most traveled corridors, and it’s not unusual for individuals to take advantage of a lower cost of living in San Marcos or San Antonio and commute to Austin for school or work every day.

To address this demand, both TxDOT and the Travis County Commissioners Court recently conducted studies into expanding the intercity passenger rail system looking at two different route possibilities. 

TxDOT’s study, released in June, looks at the possibilities of running more frequent trains along the existing railway, which is owned and operated by Union Pacific Railroad. The study looked at both current and potential ridership data as well as construction, operation, and infrastructure costs. The TxDOT study examined what eight round trips a day could look like, timed with consideration given to Union Pacific’s freight routes.

This isn’t the first time the state has explored improving the passenger rail. Back in 2016, the Lone Star Rail District was looking to build a Central Texas railway, until Union Pacific derailed the plan. A decade later, the railroad’s hesitations remain. “Past efforts have found the existing freight corridor is not sufficient to accommodate both freight and passenger demand,” Union Pacific wrote in a statement to the Chronicle. “We believe that is still the case today, and we are focused on serving our customers and taking trucks off the state’s congested highways.”

Alternatively, the Travis County Commissioners Court’s August study looks at a route that would not require collaboration with Union Pacific, building a new railway connecting Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with downtown San Antonio, along Interstate 10 and State Highway 130. 

The county’s study provides an alternative to working with Union Pacific, but comes with its own challenges. “Leaders at the state level are either not opposed to, or supportive of, the passenger rail if it can be done without taking private land. If we stay in that right-of-way, about two-thirds of it has to be elevated,” said Travis County Judge Andy Brown.

Both studies were conducted by engineering and construction firm HNTB. Brown said that the two studies are not intended to be in competition with one another. Both agencies are just hoping to find a solution to a problem that’s been a long time coming. “We have looked at this as a community for a very long time and with varied effort,” Brown said. “The longer we wait, the more expensive it will get.”

Regardless of which route the state takes, it’s a big ticket. With siding improvements and some additional track, the TxDOT plan estimates a cost between $810 million and $1.9 billion, depending on the frequency of the trains, spanning from two round trips to eight. The plan is much less than Travis County’s $13.5 billion estimate, which accounts for building a new elevated track, right-of-way acquisitions, and the cost of the trains themselves. And, Brown said, Travis County has yet to do a ridership and economic impact study, both crucial steps in the journey toward laying a track. 

Though the state is still a long way from an improved passenger rail, both studies prove that Texans are ready to ride. Back on the train, I found myself sitting next to Justin Clemens, who had been riding the Texas Eagle with his wife all the way from Chicago. San Antonio was the final stop on their nearly three-day journey. For Clemens, the choice to ride the train was an easy one. As we rode out of Austin that evening, he asked, “Wherever we’re going, why don’t we all go together?”

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