The proposed Texas state budget contains two sentences that could derail Texas’ chance for bragging rights to the first high-speed train line in the country.
The Texas House and Senate have to have the budget nailed down before the end of the month. Unless two key sentences of the Senates proposed budget are not eliminated by then, the Lone Star state’s hopes for a bullet train will evaporate.
The proposed budget disallows the Texas Department of Transportation from using any resources for overseeing or regulating a Dallas to Houston bullet train if the train is privately funded. According to the Texas Central Railway, the project cannot be completed without Transportation Department’s expertise and oversight.
Assuming the bullet train-killing language is removed and the train is built, Print companies in both Dallas and Houston, as well as the stops in between, will no doubt see a flood of business. Local businesses will want to update their advertising to point out their proximity the bullet train station.
While the bullet train is popular in Dallas and Houston, it is less appreciated in the rural area between those two cities. Opposition is centered on the assumption that eminent domain will be used to ensure the rail line’s path through communities and farms.
There is also skepticism that the bullet train will be remaining privately funded, despite the assertion of the state and Texas Central Railway.Get a Free Quote for Print
