Its completely silly. From Longview, it takes 1.5 hours to drive to Dallas if the traffic is bad and there is construction
Mapquest says that it takes 2hrs and 6 minutes to travel the 128 mile difference.
To do it in 1.5 hrs as you suggest, you'd have to be averaging over 85 mph.
However, I agree that Amtrak's schedule for this segment is slow in this day in age.
Fortunately, it can be dramatically improved simply by eliminating the bottlenecks and scheduling conflicts with the freight traffic along that route.
In fact, since the Texas rail rights-of-way aren't as hemmed in as they are along the Eastern Seaboard, I bet the existing freight right-of-way can be inexpensively widened to accommodate separate passenger traffic. Amtrak's Acela technology is capable of speeds up to 150 mph on suitable track, without the need for the more expensive Japanese Bullet train technology.
So the current Amtrak travel time can readily be cut in half, if Texans so choose.
you’d have to be averaging over 85 mph
Guess you ain’t been on I-20 lately, heck the 18 wheelers are runjing 80.
Still when you get to the Dallas train station, I don’t think there are any car rentals and you need to be packing in that part of town, which might be hard to do after riding the Gubmint Train.
Secondly, a fast rail between Little Rock and Dallas wouldn’t be so fast having to detour south to LGV.
85 is pretty normal on I20, but you can also take Hwy 80 an knock off 30 miles off that distance (and fewer cops, even in the small towns except Gladewater which is a speed trap).. I make the trip twice a week to my Lewisville office, I have the schedule down to the minute (2 hours, 15 minutes from my house to my Lewisville office (1.5 hours to loop 360, another 45 minutes to the Lewisville office- all if the road is clear.)