Texas Central Railroad Gains Power to Condemn Private Property for Bullet Train

Overview

The Texas Supreme Court handed down a 5-3 opinion on Friday in which the Court ruled that the Texas Central Railroad & Infrastructure Inc. does have the power to condemn private property for the proposed bullet train project from Dallas to Houston. 

While the trial court originally ruled that Texas Central does not qualify as an interurban electric railway or railroad company, the Texas Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s decision. The decision focused on the interpretation of statutes relating to eminent domain and not on, as the opinion reads, “whether high-speed rail between Houston and Dallas is a good idea or whether the benefits of the proposed rail service outweigh its detriments.”

BACO’s Involvement

We understand there are still additional financing and other hurdles in connection with the bullet train project, but with this ruling Texas Central, the bullet train operator, has cleared at least one obstacle that has been holding up the project. We have been retained by several industrial, commercial, rural residential and rural recreational property owners in both the Dallas and Houston areas, as well as the more rural areas in between, where Texas Central plans to construct the bullet train.

If your property may be impacted by the bullet train, please contact our office to speak with an experienced eminent domain attorney regarding the project and the potential impact on your property.