Published Thursday, September 17, 2009 6:05 AM

Fast rail to have its day

By MATTHEW WATKINS
matthew.watkins@theeagle.com

Many Brazos Valley government officials are sold on the idea of a high-speed rail line through the area.

They hope to pitch the plan to transportation leaders and the general public during an all-day meeting hosted by Texas A&M.

The university's European Union Center will host the Texas/European High-Speed Rail Symposium on Sept. 28. At the event, residents, researchers and government officials from Ciudad Real, Spain, will speak about the benefits of rail in their city, and local officials will promote plans for the future of rail at home.

"I am going to say we will easily have high-speed rail within the next 10 or 15 years," said College Station Mayor Ben White, who will deliver the closing remarks at the event.

White is a member of the Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corp., which is composed of leaders across the state who are lobbying for the construction of rail.

The group proposes two connecting rail lines -- one from San Antonio to Dallas and another from Killeen to Houston. The lines would form a "T-bone" that would connect all the cities they run through, including Bryan-College Station, officials said.

The optimism of rail's proponents has grown as President Barack Obama has expressed support for developing high-speed rail in the United States.

The plan does have its doubters, including the conservative think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation. The foundation released a report in August that questioned how cost-effective the plan would be and whether it would solve Texas' transportation problems.

"The average American will ride these trains less than 60 miles per year, or about 1/70th as much as the average American travels on interstate freeways," the report said. "In fact, most of the taxpayers who pay for high-speed trains will rarely or never use them."

Some local leaders argue that rail would be a great economic boost for the area. They will make their case at the symposium. It will be held at the College Station Utility Building, 1601 Graham Road. Registration is $25.

"It is an opportunity for a conversation," said Linda Edwards, director of A&M's Office of International Outreach, who is helping put on the event. "Who knows where it will take us, but we do know that there is a lot of interest."

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