Bill to stop bullet train is bad for North Texas

Since some residents of southeast Texas have voiced their opposition to a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, it was only a matter of time before a bill to stymie the plan was introduced in the Legislature.

The legislation in question is House Bill 1889, introduced by state Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe. It would require elected officials from every city and county along the proposed train route to approve the project before construction is allowed to proceed.

On its surface, the plan sounds fair. Why shouldn’t counties and cities be able to determine what’s best for them?

But such a bill would also render any long-distance ventures nearly impossible. Dozens of counties would need to sanction a single project, but the opposition of only one municipality could derail the entire plan.

It appears that is exactly what Metcalf, a longtime critic of the bullet train proposed by Texas Central Railway, is trying to do.

Texas Central Railway has been developing its proposal for a privately financed high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston for years. The company has sought public input and earned the support of leaders in both cities, as well as Arlington and Fort Worth.

Its trains — which would travel between the two metro areas in 90 minutes — could be operational by 2021, pending an environmental impact study required by the federal government.

Earlier this month, the company announced its preferred route, which would use land reserved for high-voltage electric transmission lines. A second path under consideration would hew closely to existing right-of-way owned by Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway, but Texas Central Railway has argued that the former “utility corridor” is the “superior alternative.”

Neither proposed route would traverse Metcalf’s district, a fact that does not appear to dull his opposition.

“We do not need a high-speed railway in Texas that will only benefit a few, while at the same time disturbing thousands of citizens within its path,” said Metcalf in a recent statement.

The residents of all counties impacted by the railway have a right to ask questions, make recommendations and voice their concerns. But passing a bill that would allow a single county to thwart the entire project is just bad policy.

This story was originally published February 26, 2015 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Bill to stop bullet train is bad for North Texas."