Texas Central, the proposed high-speed rail line from Houston to Dallas, received approval for its preferred route in August from the Federal Railroad Administration despite public opposition in Grimes and Montgomery counties. The project also reached a financial milestone in July.

After completing the first phase of an environmental impact statement, or EIS, in August, the FRA selected the utility corridor along Hwy. 290 as its preferred route for Texas Central—the same route recommended by developers Texas Central Partners in February. The 240-mile rail line will travel along the utility corridor through Harris County and north through a portion of Grimes County with stops in Houston, College Station and Dallas. Officials have said the trip from Houston to Dallas will take just under 90 minutes.

The utility corridor, which follows existing electrical transmission lines, was selected because it has a minimal environmental effect on local wildlife, Texas Central Partners CEO Tim Keith said. Another proposed route, which travels along I-45 through the Sam Houston National Forrest, could involve more environmental hurdles.

“We’re only about halfway through the [EIS] process, but this is an important step to determining the alignment of the railway,” Keith said.

Before the end of the year, the FRA will identify several alignment options within the utility corridor before recommending a final alignment when the EIS is completed in early 2016, Keith said. TCP will then attempt      to secure the rights of way necessary to bring the railway to fruition.

“Once we identify the end-to-end alignment, we can identify specific landowners to contact,” he said.

Fundraising start

TCP reached a financial milestone in July as the project secured $75 million in private investments from a number of investors.

Keith said the company is using the funds to purchase assets and hire employees who will help raise between $10 billion and  $12 billion in combined equity and debt by 2017. TCP expects to begin construction by mid-2017 on the project, which will take four years to complete.

“The fact that it’s private is something that puts this project on the global stage,” Keith said. “[Private funding] allows it to be completely motivated by the market forces, not politically motivated from a design or implementation perspective.”

Eminent domain opposition

The high-speed rail project aroused opposition for its possible use of    eminent domain in Montgomery and Grimes counties.

Ben Lemand, Grimes County judge and chairman of Texans Against High Speed Rail, said using eminent domain for a private transportation project could diminish the rights of property owners.

“If eminent domain is allowed, it means this private business’s property right is more important than an individual’s rights,” Lemand said.

Keith said the company would only use eminent domain in extreme cases.

“We understand that touching property is a very personal issue,” he said. “We will speak to each landowner face to face to learn their concerns and work hard to address them.”