Some Texans against Houston-to-Dallas bullet train
“Traveling from Dallas to Houston at lightning speed in under 90 minutes on a bullet train sounds like a commuter’s dream come true. But for Grimes County rancher Eric Yeargain, it’s a nightmare.
One of the proposed routes for the 200 mph bullet train would slice right through Yeargain’s peaceful 50-acre ranch in southern Grimes County.
“Cutting our land in half and isolating us from half of it and disrupting our way of life and potentially devastating our land value is something that’s a tough thing to fathom,” Yeargain said.
What’s even harder for him to swallow is the fact that his property could be taken over by eminent domain.
“He’s not alone. It’s going to affect so many people,” said Grimes County Commissioner Pam Finke.
Finke has become an advocate for ranchers across the county and has contacted Texas Central Railway in hopes of convincing developers to explore other options.
“If a train starts at 5:30 in the morning and goes thorough until 11:30 at night every half hour or every hour, it’s going to affect the people. It’s going to devastate the real estate market that we have,” Finke said.”
Cerota, Andy. Click 2 Houston 12 November 2014.