Rural Counties Push Back Against Texas High-Speed Train

HOUSTON, TX — As the proposed high-speed bullet train picks up steam among officials in the Dallas and Houston metro areas, folks in the rural counties continue efforts to derail the project. Residents in Madison and Northwest Harris counties jam-packed meetings Monday in opposition, and more are scheduled tonight in Waller and Grimes counties.

Calvin House told a panel from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) the project will disrupt his land and create noise pollution twice an hour on his tract of land in far west Harris County.

"I've got 350 acres of land and it cuts right through the middle of it," House said. "You're going to have a train every 25 minutes traveling over 200 miles per hour, and it sounds like a jet plane going by."

Meanwhile at the Kimbro Convention Center in Madisonville, another packed house showed up to slam the project.

"It's our opinion Texas Central has not shown a need," said Gene Whitesides, a Madisonville resident who owns 50 acres of land. He said officials from project developer Texas Central told him they'd need all of his land for the rail. "I don't believe anyone under any certain circumstances should have to put their life and their families life on hold especially for a project we're not even sure a need has been shown for."

Texas Central vice president of public affairs Travis Kelly said the meetings are critical to progress moving forward.

"We're working really closely with land owners on their specific concerns and how we can accommodate and find a way to move forward," Kelly said.

Most of the people who attend these meetings in the rural counties either live or work along the proposed utility corridor where the bullet train would travel from Houston to Dallas.

Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said although Texas Central and the municipality leaders of Houston and Dallas say it's completely privately funded, the taxpayers will ultimately pay the price in land and money alike.

"It may not run through your property, but rest assure it will run through your pocketbook," Duhon said. "Who will subsidize this when it fails? We will."

"I don't know if it will matter what we say tonight, but I know this project is a long way from becoming a reality, and we still have a lot to say about it," Duhon said.

Texas Central, an investor-owned project, said Monday it will not take federal or state grants for construction or operations. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the privately-funded project will not cost the taxpayers, but rather the city will benefit from the sales tax — projected at $12 million a year.

There will be two meetings tonight

• Waller County, Tuesday, February 6, 2018, 5 - 9 p.m. Waller High School, 20950 Fields Store Rd, Waller, TX 77484.
• Grimes County, Tuesday, February 6, 2018, 6 - 10 p.m. Navasota Junior High School, 9038 Highway 90 South, Navasota, TX 77868.

Houston, Dallas moving forward

The City of Houston, along with Texas Central and board members for the project, held a large press conference Monday producing images and videos of the proposed Houston rail station at the old Northwest Mall.

They claimed the city will see about $12 million in sales taxes every year and the high-speed rail station will be the regional transportation hub. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the project will create more than 10,000 jobs during construction phases and 1,500 permanent jobs once it's complete. Turner added that he expects construction to begin in 2019 and be completed "before our next Super Bowl." Houston hasn't been awarded any future Super Bowls, and it could be 10 more years before it gets another as the city hosted Super Bowl LI in 2017.

"Houston continues to grow. Growing the smart way includes providing a wider choice of transportation options beyond more private vehicles and more roads," Turner said Monday. "The Texas Bullet Train fits the transportation paradigm shift I have called for. And now with a preferred location for the Houston station, we are one big step closer to boarding for an exciting trip to the Brazos Valley and on to Dallas."

Photo by Jens Schlueter — Pool/Getty Images