The proposed high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston could have $36B of economic benefits by 2040, according to a study by the project's potential developer, Texas Central Partners.

Because the rail is a private project, its property and infrastructure are taxable, so it would pump hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes into municipalities and school districts all up and down the track, the Dallas Morning News reports.

That could change the minds of some rural areas that have up till now resisted the project. But some opponents aren't convinced—Texans Against High-Speed Rail president Kyle Workman says the report was commissioned by the developer, so he suspects it paints an overly optimistic picture.

But skeptics are few and far between; Texas Central Partners CEO Tim Keith says most people along the path are excited at the prospect and hope the rail will boost other development. Colvill CEO Chip Colvill is one of them.