Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff floated the idea of a commuter rail system on the northwest side at his annual State of the County speech, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Wolff said a commuter rail line is already in place and could be easily adjusted for passenger rail traffic.
"We have a real opportunity that could work for us," he said. "That's the line that starts downtown and goes all the way to The Rim (shopping center at I-10 and La Cantera). It is a Union Pacific line, they're only using it once every couple of weeks now. Then there's the right of way, that takes you all the way to Boerne."
Wolff says he had the UP hook up some rail cars recently, and tested the line by taking the UTSA band from the campus to downtown.
"We will continue to talk with Union Pacific, and hopefully we will be able to reach agreement with them, and, at some point, provide some rail transportation. Every big city in the country has it, safe us. They can't all be wrong."
Wolff joked that he has been 'run over' by rail proposals twice in the last 17 years.The first was when voters rejected a plan to construct a light rail system in 2000. The second was three years ago, when the hugely unpopular downtown streetcar proposal was rejected.
Wolff gave the remarks to the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.