The Galveston–Houston Electric Railway was an

interurban railway The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...

between

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

and

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

from 1911 to 1936. The railway was recognized as the fastest interurban line in 1925 and 1926., Texas State Historical Association.

Route

Houston station and car from the Galveston-Houston Interurban Railraod

The Interurban ran the from downtown

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

to downtown

in as little as 75 minutes. The

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

roughly followed the current path of

Interstate 45 Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Texas. While most Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, with the ...

(

Gulf Freeway Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Texas. While most Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, with the ...

), and is now used as a utility right of way for high tension power lines. The

Galveston Bay Galveston Bay ( ) is a bay in the western Gulf of Mexico along the upper coast of Texas. It is the seventh-largest estuary in the United States, and the largest of seven major estuaries along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is connected to the Gulf of ...

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

was considered a great feat of engineering and cost about US$2 million (US$ in ) to build in the late 1910s. While most of the original

stations Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

have been demolished to make room for new structures, several artifacts remain.

Minute Maid Park Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 ...

was built from

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

, and features a railway theme. Before Interstate 45, a small, two-story interurban station was located on College Avenue where it crossed Airport Boulevard. This crossing was not at right angles but like an "X" and would be located slightly east of I-45 on the feeder street, if it still existed today. Airport Blvd becomes College Ave in South Houston at I-45. The original causeway in Galveston can be easily seen to the east from the interstate highway causeway. Other stops included Park Place, City of South Houston (formerly City of Dumont), College Ave/Airport Blvd at Interstate 45, Clear Creek Crossing (the power station), and the Galveston Terminal on 21st Street, between Church and Post Office streets.

Future

There has been recent talk of re-establishing some form of train service between Houston and Galveston. Several test trips have been made using Amtrak equipment under the Gulfliner name. It has been suggested that some parts of the old Interurban right of way might be used to bypass congested sections of track on the host railroad.

References

External links

Houston Streetcar History PagesGalveston Island Railroad Museum
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Galveston Houston Electric Railway Defunct Texas railroads Interurban railways in Texas Transportation in Houston Transportation in Galveston County, Texas History of Galveston, Texas History of Houston Railway lines opened in 1911 1936 disestablishments in Texas Greater Houston Galveston Bay Area Railway lines closed in 1936 1911 establishments in Texas