Homeland security and Texas’ high-speed rail Steven M. Polunsky 1 Received: 12 February 2017 /Accepted: 30 May 2017 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2017 Abstract A private corporation is proposing a high-speed intercity passenger train system to operate between Dallas and Houston, Texas using Japanese technology and methods. This project brings with it unique and unprecedented homeland security issues. A modern high-speed rail system is a network of potential vulnerabilities, and terrorist groups have identified public transportation as desirable targets. This paper reviews potential vulnerabilities and threats, describes the proposed project, and details possible options for safety, security, and intelligence. The author then puts these items in the context of public policy and makes a series of recommendations regarding the government’ s role in the provision of homeland security for the proposed train. Specifically, the author recommends the State of Texas set required homeland security standards for high-speed rail projects. Keywords Homeland security . High-speed rail . Passenger trains . Transit . Texas . Transportation . Terrorism . Railroad . Trains . Intel . Intelligence . Cyber . Energy . Japan Introduction A private corporation is pursuing the construction and operation of a high-speed intercity passenger train system between Dallas and Houston, Texas using Japanese technology and methods. The Texas Central Railway (TCR; officially the Texas Central High-Speed Railway, in partnership with the Central Japan Railway Company, or JRC) is leading this effort (Serrano 2014). The private (publicly traded) JRC currently operates over 300 high-speed trains each day between Osaka and Tokyo. TCR proposes a fully-fenced passenger train service reaching 205-miles per hour (mph) that does not share or cross freight rail lines (Benzion 2014). TCR has stated that it intends to use Model N700-I, J Transp Secur DOI 10.1007/s12198-017-0180-y * Steven M. Polunsky polunsky@tamu.edu 1 Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 505 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 455, Austin, TX 78752-3717, USA