Houston, TX  — Houston is one of the nation’s most important rail hubs, a crossroads of freight, energy, and economic movement. But with that strategic role comes serious challenges: congested crossings, community delays, and safety concerns.  

In recent weeks, local leaders and transportation officials gathered to take action. During a recent meeting of the TrackSafe Houston initiative—a partnership led by Union Pacific, the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce, and the Gulf Coast Rail District—elected officials and stakeholders explored real, scalable solutions that could be applied to Houston’s rail infrastructure. 

Learning from Chicago’s CREATE Model 

One clear model came into focus; Chicago’s renowned CREATE Program (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program). As the densest rail region in North America, Chicago faces many of the same challenges as Houston. Yet, through CREATE —a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation, Illinois DOT, the City of Chicago, freight railroads, and Metra— they’ve taken a collaborative, data-driven approach to improving rail efficiency, reducing delays, and enhancing safety.  

Launched 20 years ago, CREATE targets 70 key infrastructure projects based on metrics like traffic volumes, accident data, community mobility, and project feasibility. It also works to engage communities in the planning process. Projects have included grade separations, grade crossing enhancements, and extensive upgrades of tracks, switches and signal systems. Twenty years on, CREATE has generated 44,000 regional jobs and $31.5 billion in economic benefits. 

Houston officials see this model, in which communities, governments, and the railroads collaborate to renew regional infrastructure, as a path forward. 

The Houston Challenge 

Houston’s surging population and freight activity are colliding with its infrastructure. The region now has over 700 at-grade rail crossings and sees more than 100 trains daily —serving critical industries, ports, and Amtrak routes to San Antonio and New Orleans. Since 1990, the population has more than doubled from 3.5 to 7.5 million, transforming formerly industrial areas like the East End, Northside, and the suburbs into densely populated neighborhoods. As new communities and trains increasingly share space, ensuring safe, efficient mobility for all has become increasingly vital.  

A Call for State and Federal Investment 

To emulate CREATE, Houston and Texas officials will need to secure a mix of federal grant programs—such as CRISI, RAISE and the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) program— alongside state partnerships and private railroad investment. This year, the Texas Legislature created a TxDOT-administered $250 million grant program solely to identify and assist communities across the state with grade separation projects.  

Houston has already started to receive some of this support, including a recent federal grant for the West Belt Improvement Project (Phase 1), applied for by the Gulf Coast Rail District. This nearly $37 million RCE award will eliminate seven at-grade crossings and build four underpasses, improving safety, emergency response access, and traffic flow in the heart of the East End corridor.  

But community and rail officials made clear at the TrackSafe Houston conference that much more is needed to fully transform the region’s rail infrastructure. 

Looking Ahead 

Rail safety isn’t just a transportation matter—it’s a shared community concern. From students waiting to emergency responders navigating crossings, rail touches daily life in many Houston neighborhoods. At the same time, freight rail remains one of the safest, most efficient and sustainable ways to move goods—reducing highway congestion, lowering emissions, and supporting economic growth across the region.