June 28, 2022 - David Peter Alan, Railway Age - Commentary and Analysis -

I thought it was all over but the waiting. The beleaguered Texas Central high-speed rail (HSR) project, which would have sent fast trains between Dallas and Houston, was dead. The project had lost its leadership and it appeared that the political forces in Texas has aligned to position the state's Supreme Court to deal the death blow.

In a surprising decision delivered on June 24, the Texas Supreme Court affirmed the appellate court’s decision that the Texas Central entities have the authority to take land for the line, under the applicable statute governing transportation providers. While the Court did not reach the question of whether or not Texas Central was a “railroad” for eminent-domain purposes, it ruled that the project had such authority as an “interurban electric railway company.”

Read more: https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/high-performance/part-6-the-texas-supreme-court-rules/

Photo credit: Texas Central