The dream of an Austin to San Antonio rail line appears to be dying, at least in its current form. The Lone Star rail line has been in the planning stages since 2003 and has received money and support from cities and counties up and down the proposed route, including from Austin. That is now changing.

Back in February, the rail line suffered a major blow when Union Pacific said that Lone Star Rail could no longer consider using their existing track for the new system. Experts have said that utilizing the existing track is the option that makes the most economic sense for Lone Star Rail and would likely encourage the greatest ridership numbers.

Last week, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), voted to remove Lone Star Rail from its long term plans and request that funding for an ongoing environmental impact study for the rail line be pulled. CAMPO is an organization that coordinates transportation planning in Central Texas and includes Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler (who also serves on the CAMPO board) floated the idea of one more last ditch negotiation with Union Pacific to see if he can get them to change their minds about sharing their tracks. If that doesn’t work, a final CAMPO vote on Lone Star Rail will take place on October 10th. Leading up to that there will be a 30-day public comment period and a public hearing in September. More info>>