The Los Angeles Post

Tale of two trains: California high-speed rail leaves Texas in the dust

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What you need to know: Despite the Trump Administration’s assaults, both California and Texas are working to build high-speed rail. But only one state has built anything: California.

SACRAMENTO — What’s the main difference between California high-speed rail and Texas high-speed rail? California’s system is under construction; Texas’ has yet to break ground. 

California has transitioned from vision and ideas to active construction and tangible economic benefits, while the Texas project remains a dream mostly on paper. Despite the noise from Washington, California high-speed rail is becoming real. It’s another critical project part of the Governor’s build more, faster agenda delivering infrastructure upgrades and thousands of jobs across the state.

The facts speak for themselves — here’s the progress since 2013 for both systems:

Route
California
494 miles – San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim via Central Valley
Texas Central
240 miles – Dallas to Houston, via Brazos Valley

Environmental clearance
California
✅ 463 of 494 miles environmentally cleared by federal and state government
Texas Central
Federal clearance (less comprehensive and transparent)

Construction status
California
✅ 171 miles under active development; 119 miles under active construction; 52 major structures built; extensions to Merced and Bakersfield in design
Texas Central
❌ Not started

Station development
California
✅ Merced, Fresno, Kings/Tulare and Bakersfield in advance design
Texas Central
❌ Not started

Funding structure
California
✅ Public funding (state + federal) with potential for future private investment
Texas Central
❌ Private, federal funding pulled

Projected opening
California
✅ Early Operating Segment: 2030-2033
Texas Central
❌ Not established

Jobs created
California
✅ 15,000+ jobs
Texas Central
❌ None reported

Economic benefits
California
✅ The project has already generated nearly $22 billion in economic output, boosting the state’s economy. The full San Francisco-Los Angeles system is estimated to support $221.8 billion in economic output once it’s in operation.
Texas Central
❌ No current data. The project is anticipated to generate $36 billion in economic impact over the next 25 years.

Environmental benefits
California
✅ Estimated to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions by 0.6 to 3 million MTCO2e annually – this is the equivalent of removing 142,000 to 700,000 cars off the road.

Diverted 95% of construction waste from landfills by recycling, reusing or composting.
Texas Central
❌ No current data

Integration with existing transit
California
✅ Future connections to Caltrain, ACE, High Desert Corridor, Brightline West, Metrolink
Texas Central
❌ Standalone