The plan is for the Texas Central rail line to offer commutes between Houston and Dallas in about 90 minutes. The company’s CEO Tim Keith says the route would include a single stop in Grimes County.
“And we can service Walker, Grimes, Madison County, which would include Huntsville, Bryan/College Station, Madisonville, Navasota, and frankly, also allow us to address students at three large universities and colleges,” Keith says.
He says they’ve identified the corridor for the rail line, but not the specific routes. The company recently commissioned a study which found the project would produce $36 billion in economic benefits over the next 25 years.
But some land owners in rural communities have spoken out against the development, saying it could slash their property in half. Keith says the company will try to stick to existing rail lines, but it may have to acquire some land.
“We’ll meet this fall or early next year with each of the landowners to talk about their property and deal with them face-to-face and talk about their concerns and make sure we can work hard to negotiate a purchase,” he says.
Keith says the company plans to hold public meetings this fall to update land owners and elected officials.