Texas Central High-Speed Rail Wins Four-Year Court Battle

May 11, 2020

A Texas appeals court ruled in favor of Texas Central, holding that it was both a railroad company and interurban electric railway, despite operating no trains yet. The company intends to build a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston.

The decision by Justice Nora Longoria comes after a four-year court battle waged by landowners along the proposed route in Leon County. The landowners argued that the Texas Central project wasn’t a railroad and therefore didn’t have the rights associated with a railroad, including eminent domain and access to property for surveyors.

“This decision is rooted in state law that allows survey access and use of eminent domain by railroads, pipelines, electrical lines and other industries that provide for the public good and a strong economy,” said Carlos Aguilar, CEO of Texas Central.

The landowners plan to appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court, according to published reports.

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