Re: High Speed Rail: Pros and Cons
Posted: Mon 18 Feb 2019, 03:28:23
There was an earlier effort around 1990, and Southwest Airlines lobbied very hard against it: Bullet Train Failed Once, but It's Back for Another Go | The Texas Tribune
However, Southwest Airlines does not seem to be opposing this most recent project.
Texas TGV’s optimism was based in large part on its backers’ confidence that a high-speed rail line would draw thousands of Texans who regularly flew between the state’s major cities for work. The plan was a threat to Southwest Airlines, which had built a large portion of its business on the state’s “super-commuters.” Southwest officials said the Texas project was unlike any other high-speed rail project in the world, in that it was focusing more on taking customers from air travel rather than cars.
Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s CEO at the time, predicted that the bullet train would force the airline to raise fares on some Texas routes and end service on others. He also warned that the company might move its corporate headquarters to another state. Southwest Airlines declined to comment for this article.
However, Southwest Airlines does not seem to be opposing this most recent project.