Texarkana - Little Rock - Memphis Study

[Jeff Smith]

A very dated (2/6/20) article on a route that would cover some Texas Eagle territory: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/202 ... -20200206/

For discussion of the Texas Eagle: viewtopic.php?f=46&t=15199

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"The capital costs, ranging from $171 million to $402 million, far outweigh the benefits," a state-commissioned study by global infrastructure firm AECOM concluded. "Without a dedicated funding source, creating a high-speed passenger rail service from Texarkana through Little Rock to Memphis is cost prohibitive at this time."

The study found that even at a top speed of 110 mph, high-speed passenger rail along the route between Texarkana and Little Rock and a proposed extension to Memphis would attract no more than 130,000 passengers per year, or about 356 people per day, by 2040.

That is almost four times as many as ride on Amtrak's Texas Eagle now, but represents just 1% of traffic on Interstate 30 between Texarkana and Little Rock and Little Rock and Memphis. Estimated ticket revenue also would cover no more than 17% of the high-speed rail service operating costs, estimated to be as much as $37 million annually.
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The higher-speed alternative -- 110 mph -- would allow a journey between Little Rock and Texarkana to take 2.2 hours versus the 2.9 hours it takes the Texas Eagle now. Travel time between the same two points takes about two hours by vehicle during off-peak travel times.

The current Texarkana-to-Little Rock Amtrak trip includes three stops, in Malvern, Arkadelphia and Hope, adding to the time the trip takes.
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The study called current passenger rail service between Texarkana and Little Rock, part of the Amtrak Texas Eagle route, "slow, inconvenient and relatively unreliable."

There is no passenger rail service between Little Rock and Memphis.
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[gokeefe]

Unrealistic assumptions produce unrealistic outcomes.

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[Pensyfan19]

Now for some optimistic and realistic proposals:

Considering Dallas to Little Rock is already in tact with the Texas Eagle, the main portion which would need to be focused on would be between Little Rock and Memphis. Some options for this route which first come to mind include the existing UP(ex MP) route from Little Rock to Memphis, maybe the Cotton Belt (present day UP) route which goes down a bit and then shoots back up northeast (with restoring the track between little Rock and Altheimer), and/or restore portions of the abandoned Rock Island Choctaw Rocket route between the two cities, specifically between Brinkley and Little Rock. All of these options are viable and hold potential for passenger rail service.

[west point]

Possible Dallas - Memphis could be extended to Birmingham to connect with Crescent. Or Memphis 0 Chattanooga - Atlanta by SOU RR route

[Tadman]

In related news, I REALLY need to get into the study business. What’s next? Butt Scratch South Dakota to The Moon?