Austin (WBAP/KLIF) – The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the Dallas company planning to build a high-tech bullet train between Dallas and Houston has eminent domain authority.
Among Texas landowners who oppose the project is James Miles of Leon County who sued Texas Central three years ago challenging the eminent domain issue.
Texas Central argues the project will be a boon to Texas, easing vehicle traffic, creating thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars for the state.
The Texas High Court’s decision focused narrowly on the issue of eminent domain, not about the benefits of the train.
Texas Central’s website reads: Nearly 100,000 Texans, sometimes called “super-commuters,” travel back and forth between Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth more than once a week, according to a study by New York University. Many others make the trip very regularly. The approximately 240-mile high-speed rail line will offer a total travel time of less than 90 minutes, with convenient departures every 30 minutes during peak periods each day, and every hour during off-peak periods – with 6 hours reserved each night for system maintenance and inspection.
Several resident-based and business groups oppose the project.
(Copyright 2022 WBAP/KLIF 24/7 News. This report contains material from WFAA-TV.)
