‘Connecting communities’: Austin to Mexico railway makes travel more efficient

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County officials made a trip to the Austin Amtrak station Monday morning.

They were joined by a Travis County judge, and officials from Mexico, to discuss passenger rail services to Mexico.

The railway line travels between Austin and Monterrey.

Judge Peter Sakai and councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda hopped on a train to Austin via Amtrak, alongside Travis County judge Andy Brown and other officials, to highlight what a game changer this can be.

“[The] key part of this is ensuring access to safe, reliable, and timely transportation,” Judge Brown said. “This means embracing safe, reliable, and affordable transportation solutions, such as robust passenger rail systems, that link the cities and the regions that we’re talking about today.”

This is especially near and dear to Judge Brown and Judge Sakai, who started the Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (TPRAC) to make railway travel more efficient across the state — starting with commutes between San Antonio and Austin.

“What that simply means is, we can’t put more cars and trucks on I-35, we can’t build more lanes,” Judge Sakai said. “What we’re going to have to do is look to alternative transportation, and it’s already here. We already experienced it with the train ride this morning.”

Councilwoman Havdra shares how this new option is making the commute faster for travelers.

“The train ride is symbolic,” she said. “High-speed rail is symbolic of a high-speed investment into our future… I can’t say how pumped I am about the opportunity for high-speed rail to connect all of our communities.”

With a booming population between Bexar and Travis counties that’s only getting bigger, this alternative rail line is giving travelers a speedier means of getting to their destinations.