MISSION, Texas - A group called RGV Rail Advocacy held an info share Sept. 30 at the Mission Events Conference Center. The 501(c)(3) non-profit provided an open free space for RGV citizens to learn about high-speed commuter rail and the benefits passenger rail can bring to cities.
According to Paul Bertanzetti and George Blount, RGV Rail Advocacy’s respective president and vice president, once a train station is announced in an area some property values within a one-mile radius can see a seven percent increase in value. Those areas are likely to be developed into mixed use areas. Mixed use areas have densely packed urban planning with properties allowed to develop commercial and residential closely together or on top of each other. Bertanzetti said: “We’re going to finance the high-speed rail with a mixed-use real estate development, through a real estate investment trust.”
Bertanzetti and other RGV Rail Advocacy group members say South Texas is a good candidate for a passenger rail system, due in part to city officials cooperating and wanting to see the project come to life. “The response from the local government is quite different from what we got in North Texas. They really want to listen,” Bertanzetti said. When asked about the response from local government, Bertanzetti said “We got an interest from the former mayor of Rio Grande City, Joel Villarreal. He invited us to come down, and he threw a big lunch for us. So, he and I gave a talk and the rest of history.”
Local government officials in the RGV are not the only ones that are listening, as the movement gains traction with more local governments interested in connecting to the RGV through passenger rail. Paul Bertanzetti said the potential partners reach as far as Canada. “We want to go to Houston, San Antonio, Monterrey, Mexico City, Quebec, Calgary, and Edmonton,” he said.
Economic prosperity is another benefit promised by the RGV Rail Advocacy group. “It’s cheaper for people to ride the rail than it would be to drive their car,” Bertanzetti said. With lower transportation costs, that frees more money to flow back into our local economy, he claimed. Bertanzetti and Blount also stressed the job opportunities that will flow to the Valley. opening to people in the valley. “This is how cities grow. We want to allow that to happen by building rail and buying things locally,” Bertanzetti said.
The group’s adopted slogan is, RGV rail service for all! “I want every resident to be able to take advantage of the commuter rail and the high-speed rail,” Bertanzetti said, pointing out that there will be 14 stations between Brownsville and Roma for citizens to access.
The RGV Rail Advocacy group is approaching its first physical step towards getting started, acquiring 400 acres west of Mission. Bertanzetti said: “We’re developing a real estate trust, and I’ve already flushed out what I want in it. I’m halfway through the bylaws and next week we’re forwarding it to our attorney to have him look at everything.”
When asked about working with local transportation entities, such as city bus operators, Bertanzetti said: “With this high-speed rail, it requires local transportation to support it.” Already, they are working with local municipalities to either intersect rail and central bus stations or have regular routes between central stations and train stations, he explained.
If local residents wish to support the RGV Rail Advocates group, they can sign up as a member for free. Membership shows you support passenger rail growth in Texas, supplying RGV rail advocates with names they can present to legislatures to show demand for projects like theirs. You can also financially support them by signing up for their upcoming conference. The conference will be held Jan 29 and 30, 2026, in Mission.
