TLDR
House Bill 270, by Rep. John Bucy, was prefiled for the 90th Texas Legislature the week of Nov. 9, 2026.
It says TxDOT "shall" sign a comprehensive development agreement with a private entity to build, maintain and operate high-speed rail.
The route in the bill: Dallas to Waco to Austin to San Antonio, along the Interstate 35 corridor.
"High-speed" is defined as intercity passenger rail reasonably expected to reach at least 110 mph.
The bill repeals a 2017 law that bars state money for privately operated high-speed rail. It sets no budget, cost or construction deadline.
The session convenes Jan. 12, 2027. If passed, the bill would take effect Sept. 1, 2027.
A post circulating on social media this week says Texas is getting a 110 mph train from Dallas to San Antonio. The bill behind it is real. The train is not, yet.
HB 270 is a three-section bill that has been filed and nothing more. No hearing has been held and no vote has been taken. Here is what the text says.
What does the bill say?
HB 270 adds a new subchapter, titled "High-Speed Rail," to Chapter 91 of the Texas Transportation Code. Its author is Rep. John Bucy, an Austin Democrat whose district includes parts of North Austin, Cedar Park and Pflugerville, according to KENS 5.
The core is one sentence. The Texas Department of Transportation "shall enter into a comprehensive development agreement with a private entity" to construct, maintain and operate high-speed rail. That is a public-private contract, not a state-run railroad.
The social post described TxDOT starting a passenger rail line. The bill is narrower: it orders TxDOT to sign a deal with a private company that would build and run it.
Where would it stop, and how fast would it go?
The bill names four cities in order: Dallas, Waco, Austin and San Antonio, "along the Interstate Highway 35 corridor." It does not name station sites, a track alignment or other stops.
On speed, the bill defines high-speed rail as intercity passenger rail service "reasonably expected to reach speeds of at least 110 miles per hour." That is a definition of the service, not a guaranteed average speed or trip time. The bill lists no travel times.
Who pays for it?
The bill does not say. It contains no appropriation, no cost estimate and no construction timeline. It also sets no deadline for TxDOT to sign an agreement and no reporting requirement.
What it does is remove a barrier. Section 2 repeals Section 199.003 of the Transportation Code. That law, added by Senate Bill 977 in 2017, says the Legislature may not appropriate money for the planning, construction, maintenance or operation of high-speed rail run by a private entity, and that state agencies may not use state money for those costs.
One outside number exists for part of the route. The San Antonio Current reports that a Travis County-commissioned study by HNTB put the cost of an Austin-to-San Antonio high-speed line at $13.5 billion.
Is there a train between Austin and San Antonio now?
Yes, one a day in each direction. Amtrak's Texas Eagle runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio, with stops that include Dallas, Temple, McGregor, Austin and San Antonio. Amtrak's route page does not list a Waco station.
It is not fast. Amtrak's current timetable shows the northbound train leaving San Antonio at 6:48 a.m., reaching Austin at 9:26 a.m. and Dallas at 3:43 p.m. That is about 2 hours 40 minutes to Austin and nearly 9 hours to Dallas.
Has this been tried before?
Several times. TxDOT's Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study evaluated rail options on an 850-mile corridor from Oklahoma City to South Texas, including a Dallas/Fort Worth-to-San Antonio segment. TxDOT says the study concluded in November 2017 after a service-level environmental impact statement. Nothing was built.
Bucy prefiled a similar bill, HB 483, on Nov. 12, 2024, according to Texas Rail Advocates. KENS 5 reports his 2025 legislation stalled in the House.
A competing bill is also on file this year. HB 728, by Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian, would bar private contractors from using eminent domain to develop or operate high-speed rail, KENS 5 reports.
No public statements specifically supporting or opposing HB 270 were found in the coverage reviewed for this article.
What happens next?
Bill filing opened Nov. 9, 2026. The 90th Legislature convenes at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2027, according to the Texas Legislative Council. KENS 5 reports the session runs 140 days, to May 31, 2027.
The path for any bill is the same. It is referred to a House committee. The committee can hold a hearing and vote, or let it sit. If it clears committee, it needs a vote of the full House, then the same steps in the Senate. Then it goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it or let it become law without a signature.
If HB 270 completed all of those steps, it would take effect Sept. 1, 2027.
Why it matters for Austin
Austin is one of the four cities the bill names, and it sits in the middle of the route. The bill's author represents part of the city.
Today the rail option on I-35 is a single daily train each way. HB 270 would not change that on its own. It would require the state to sign a contract and would lift the 2017 ban on state money for private high-speed rail. Cost, route details and schedule would all come later, if the bill passes at all.
Sources
HB 270, introduced text, Texas Legislature Online (prefiled the week of Nov. 9, 2026)
