Members and guests of the Dallas Mastermind Group welcomed Mark Duebner, Director of Aviation for the City of Dallas, as their guest speaker. Mark discussed the High-Speed Rail (“HSR”) project that is expected to be complete some time in 2023. Mark detailed the many obstacles that have and will continue to show themselves and the issues that are faced when so many Federal and State agencies are involved in the planning which can slow down the process.

Mark shared that the ultimate goal is to have the North Texas station right in the middle of everything, including: secondary connectivity, office jobs, housing – which everyone is aiming for to make this a huge success. The main focus of HSR will be a direct line from Dallas to Houston. Houston is already “on board” and in the process of creating their HSR Station. Mark stated that, like a lot of projects, there is a “dark cloud over every rosy picture” and this particular dark cloud is political and economic uncertainty. With that being said, he feels strongly that this alternative in transportation will be a huge plus for the city of Dallas and it should continue to go according to plan. The HSR will make available a viable option to travelers in the not so distant future.