Train Talk Podcast

In the Season finale of Train Talk, we talk to the brains behind the Train Talk Podcast, UT Dallas Intern Addison Dobias. Addison joined the team in August 2018 and dove in head first, taking on the roles of producer, audio engineer, videographer, scheduler, and more for Season One of Train Talk. We truly wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.  Great Job, Addison!

In this episode, hosts Rebecca and Monty interview Texas Central’s Civil Infrastructure Director, Linda Miller, who discusses her amazing career trajectory from being a helicopter pilot in the US Army to being honored by the Queen of England for her contributions to the science of engineering and promoting gender equality. Linda is a globally recognized leader in the infrastructure world, having worked in leadership positions on projects in the US, UK, Australia and more. In 2017, She was awarded an Order of the British Empire by the Queen of England, a designation reserved for persons who make important contributions in the fields of science and arts, charity and public service.

In this episode, we have Part 2 of our discussion with customer experience expert Graham Leech, who leads the team working every day to make sure you have the best experience possible when riding the Texas high-speed train. In it, Rebecca and Monty talk to Graham about his career before joining Texas Central, including his time working for Virgin Trains in the UK and Europe, his view of relevant trends in the transportation industry, and why Texas trains will HAVE NO MIDDLE SEATS.   Remember, Train Talk is available on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts, so be sure to listen and subscribe!

This is Part 1 of a fun episode of Train Talk, where Rebecca and Monty talk with the Customer Experience expert at Texas Central, Graham Leech, who leads the team responsible for making the train as comfortable, enjoyable and convenient as possible for all riders. In Part 1, we talk about what goes into creating a great customer experience from a door-to-door perspective, why this technology is right for Texas, and specific benefits of the system from a future rider’s point of view.   Plus, we take a couple of minutes to watch Texas Central’s “Life on the Fast Train” video with Graham and get his thoughts on the experiences of one future rider. Remember, Train Talk is now available in audio-only format on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts, so be sure to listen and subscribe!

In this episode, Monty and Rebecca traveled to Houston to talk with Outreach Manager Mac Flores – and to see the Gonzo247 mural in person for the first time! While there, we talk about Mac’s job, Houston culture and sports, and a little about Mac’s alma mater the University of Houston. #yallaboard

In this special episode, Rebecca sits down with Bob Lauby, the Former Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer of the Federal Railroad Administration, to discuss the FRA’s role in oversight of the project, the incredible safety record of the Shinkansen system, the importance of purpose-built infrastructure like the Texas high-speed train and the superiority of a building a fully dedicated system over one that shares infrastructure with other technologies.

Train Talk is now available on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts, so be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode! Of course, you can always subscribe to our Youtube channel to keep up with new episodes and special videos as well.   This week, we’re going audio-only with Texas Central’s Integration Director, Siv Bhamra, who has worked in the rail industry for 30+ years, leading both rail and high-speed rail developments all over the globe. We discuss the future of trains in Texas and the US, the phenomenal safety record of the Shinkansen system and the environmental benefits of high-speed trains compared to travel by plane and automobile. Let us know what you think!

In this episode, we talk to Texas Central Chief Investment Officer Tim Keith about the comprehensive data collecting and data analysis that goes into infrastructure development of this magnitude, what conclusions we can draw from that data, and the economic and personal impacts this high-speed train will have on the state and its population. #YallAboard

In this episode, Monty and Rebecca discuss the recent endorsement of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and run an interview with former MADD National President and Texas City native, Laura Dean Mooney, who lost her husband in a drunk driving accident in 1991. In the interview, Laura discusses the importance of having multiple transportation options between cities and the dangers of drunk and distracted driving – especially on I-45 between Dallas and Houston, which consistently ranks as one of the deadliest in the U.S. and has scored in the top in both DUI-related crashes and fatal nighttime incidents. The Texas high-speed train would offer residents and large numbers of out of town visitors a safer, faster travel alternative by significantly decreasing accidents due to drunk, drowsy or distracted driving. This will allow a safer and more-efficient way for Texans to get to and from the Brazos Valley for large-scale events in and around the area. On the Texas high-speed train, you can avoid I-45 entirely and have peace of mind knowing that your friends and family will be safe traveling on a system that has a spotless 50+ year safety record. And that’s a win for everyone.

This week on Train Talk, Project Delivery Director Bill Tucker stops by the set to talk about what it takes to deliver on such a massive project. Previously, Bill served as Bechtel's delivery director for the central section of the Crossrail project, where he was responsible for leading the delivery organization within the client’s program management team. 

In this episode of Train Talk, Rebecca and Monty continue their chat with Brady Redwine who is technically the Vice President of Real Estate for Texas Central, but is actually another aspiring bearded podcast star and stand-up comedian. His team is responsible for the development of the right-of-way for the train’s alignment and for the development of the 3 stations in Dallas, the Brazos Valley, and northwest Houston. If you’ve been wondering what it will be like to live work and play in and around the new high-speed train stations, this is the episode for you.

In this episode of Train Talk, Rebecca and Monty talk to Brady Redwine who is technically the Vice President of Real Estate for Texas Central, but is actually another aspiring bearded podcast star and stand-up comedian. His team is responsible for the development of the right-of-way for the train’s alignment and for the development of the 3 stations in Dallas, the Brazos Valley, and northwest Houston. If you’ve been wondering what it will be like to live work and play in and around the new high-speed train stations, this is the episode for you.

This week on Train Talk, Rebecca and Monty have a fun discussion with Texas Central Area Design Manager Fabiola Dagrin about the incredibly important work she does for the project and her experiences that led her here, working on the largest infrastructure project in Texas history!

When we built out Texas Central’s Houston office, overlooking beautiful downtown Houston, we knew the space deserved something distinct, something with rich local flavor that lived up to our commitment to promote local business and culture. In this episode, Monty and Rebecca unveil a giant wall-sized mural of the high-speed train that now hangs in Texas Central’s Houston office. The mural was created by Gonzo247, a native Houstonian and wildly popular urban graffiti artist, who tags areas of the city with his hometown style, like the famed “Houston is Inspired” mural, near Market Square Park in downtown Houston. For this undertaking, Gonzo shows his own unique passion for the high-speed train project, drawing inspiration from the city of Houston, the music he grew up listening to, and memories of the graffiti-tagged trains that peppered his youth. “Gonzo continues to be an artistic powerhouse in Houston, beautifully transforming public walls across the city into vibrant attractions that make Houston a more colorful place to live,” said Christine West, Cultural Programs Manager for Houstonfirst. “His passion for this city, and his commitment to the artistic community has generated a safe space for hundreds of street artists to create new works, and to be seen.” This episode also includes the release of a short behind-the-scenes video that documents the making of the mural, complete with interviews with Gonzo and a sneak peek into his workspace.  Spencer Whelan stops by the studio to talk about his filming of the mural, the significance of Gonzo’s work, and how he was able to translate the idea of this transformational project into art in the city whose seal contains a train and whose motto is “where seventeen railroads meet the sea”. Watch the video here:   Follow Gonzo at @Gonzo247 on Instagram to see more of his work and experience more of Houston.

This week on Train Talk, Monty and Rebecca chat with Travis Kelly, the Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement for Texas Central and a high-speed train project day-oner. In this video, Travis opens up about his childhood growing up in Waxahachie, his darkest fears and hopes and dreams – but mostly the three of them just geek out over trains. Coincidentally, they all three love working for a railroad company building the first high-speed train project in Texas and the US! Also: Did you know Travis is a very prestigious national award winner? Are tears shed? Did the shocking darkest fears segment make the final cut? And, what does a “Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement” do anyway? Answers to those questions and more are just a click away. #YallAboard

This week on Train Talk, Monty and Rebecca chat with Travis Kelly, the Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement for Texas Central and a high-speed train project day-oner. In this video, Travis opens up about his childhood growing up in Waxahachie, his darkest fears and hopes and dreams – but mostly the three of them just geek out over trains. Coincidentally, they all three love working for a railroad company building the first high-speed train project in Texas and the US! Also: Did you know Travis is a very prestigious national award winner? Are tears shed? Did the shocking darkest fears segment make the final cut? And, what does a “Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement” do anyway? Answers to those questions and more are just a click away. #YallAboard

Welcome to the second episode of Train Talk, a Video Podcast from the team building your Texas High-Speed Train! Once constructed, the Texas Train will shuttle passengers between North Texas, Houston and the Brazos Valley in less than 90 minutes, at speeds of up to 205 mph, and using the world’s most advanced high-speed train technology. This episode is part 2 of our interview with Texas Central's Rail Systems Director Paul Waby. Paul is one of the World's foremost experts on the Shinkansen system and what it takes to transfer that technology to another market. Paul was part of the team that built the Taiwanese Shinkansen system, which began operations in 2007. Just like its predecessor system in Japan, the Taiwanese Shinkansen line has been running for over 11 years with ZERO injuries or fatalities due to operational accident. Paul discusses the amazing safety performance of the Shinkansen system during the earthquake in Fukushima Japan. This system kept all of its passengers safe throughout extraordinary circumstances. Thanks for watching Train Talk. Please subscribe to receive updates to see the work we're doing everyday to build your Texas High-Speed Train! #YallAboard

Welcome to the first episode of Train Talk, a weekly video podcast from the team building your Texas High-Speed Train! In this new series, we will get to know all of the amazing folks working every day on this project; we’ll talk about the opportunities a project of this magnitude brings for Texans, and, we’ll touch on a host of other issues related to bringing high-speed trains to the United States. If you don't already know, the Texas high-speed Train will move people between North Texas and Houston in 90 minutes at 205 mph, with one stop in the Brazos Valley.   In this episode, Monty and Rebecca interview Texas Central’s Rail Systems Director, Paul Waby. Paul is one of the world’s foremost experts on the Shinkansen system and what it takes to transfer that technology to another market. Paul was part of the team that built the Taiwanese Shinkansen system, which began operations in 2007. Just like it’s predecessor system in Japan, the Taiwanese Shinkansen line has been running for over 11 years with ZERO injuries or fatalities due to operational accident. Combine that with the Japanese system touting a 54-year perfect safety record and you can easily see why Texas Central wants to bring the world’s safest mass transportation system to Texas. We hope you enjoy this first episode of Train Talk, a new platform for us to showcase the amazing people that are working on the project and keep you updated on the work we’re doing everyday to build your Texas High-Speed Train! #YallAboard