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Texas Central Project


MaxConcrete

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I agree. Really great news. We can at least "hope" to join the rest of the world, with options other than cars. Here's the HBJ LINK.

http://m.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/05/texas-lawmaker-loses-bid-to-derail-high-speed.html

Can we cut it with "we're so behind the rest of the world because we have no trains" crap? We have flush toilets and ready access to food, which puts ahead of a lot of the world, in fact.

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Can we cut it with "we're so behind the rest of the world because we have no trains" crap? We have flush toilets and ready access to food, which puts ahead of a lot of the world, in fact.

 

He meant we're behind the world in terms of trains, as this is a trains thread and not a food or toilet thread.

Train-wise we are behind Europe, Asia, Australia,  and parts of North and of South America.That leaves us only ahead of Africa and Antartica.

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He meant we're behind the world in terms of trains, as this is a trains thread and not a food or toilet thread.

Train-wise we are behind Europe, Asia, Australia, and parts of North and of South America.That leaves us only ahead of Africa and Antartica.

Africa actually has 12 cities with train systems.

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  • 3 weeks later...

You thought there was something new here didn't you?

 

It's been pretty quiet since the oppositions bills and runner were essentially defeated. I think it will be quiet the rest of the summer until they finish the environmental impact report.

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Yeah that's what I've gathered. I'm curious how far along they are in the report.

But, since we're here we might as well discuss the potential a GP/290 station will have on Cypress. The 'rents built a house in 2005 for $212k but was recently appraised at $306k. Imagine what this station will do to this area and surrounding demographics...

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Yeah that's what I've gathered. I'm curious how far along they are in the report.

But, since we're here we might as well discuss the potential a GP/290 station will have on Cypress. The 'rents built a house in 2005 for $212k but was recently appraised at $306k. Imagine what this station will do to this area and surrounding demographics...

 

That's exactly what I was wondering about; my mom recently bought a house in Towne Lake and I'm curious what the effects might have on home values.

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  • 4 weeks later...

To further prove I'm not talking out of my ass about this whole "Commuter Line/HSR track sharing" thing....

 

http://communityimpact.com/metro-rolls-out-new-bus-network-in-august-routes-in-spring-to-change/

 

Spieler said the Hwy. 249 corridor has been considered for a commuter rail line, but the lack of a high occupancy vehicle lane limits METRO’s options in that region.

 

METRO has also talked with Texas Central Railway, the company behind a privately funded high-speed rail from Houston to Dallas that could break ground in 2016 or 2017 and travel along Hwy. 290.

“They value transit where they place the Houston station,” Spieler said. “I think that discussion will continue.”

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

CEO's change out of companies all the time. Its usually when the Board feels like either the previous CEO has already done his/her job or they now have other priorities and goals and need a new CEO who can reach those goals.

 

EDIT: Again adding onto what I said before. This was clearly replacing the CEO because the goals and needs of the company were changing which makes sense. Up until now the focus was simply starting up the company, seeking investment, and push the company's legal agenda so it can actually build the thing. The previous CEO pretty much accomplished all of that. Now the company is in a new phase and now needs a CEO with a different set of skills. Now they need someone who is good in real estate and infrastructure which is exactly what they got. This is actually good news. The got over the legal hurdle, and even though they are still going through the environmental impact study it looks like they are confident enough to move forward with the next phase of their plan.

Edited by Luminare
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Good thing; they just got an experienced finance official AND $75 million in funding which means...we're in design/engineering phase baby

 

Not only that but the article states the offering was oversubscribed which means a lot of money wants in on this.  I'd love to see a bootleg copy of the prospectus on this.

 

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I think people are confusing TCR with TCP. Texas Central Partners didn't have a CEO until now if my understanding is correct. Texas Central Railway is to promote the establishment of a railway. TCR's CEO is still intact. Texas Central Partners is the company that will build and operate the railway. Two separate companies that happen to have a lot of the same folks on the board.

 

So yes, a new CEO, but not replacing an old CEO.

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From the Chronicle:

"Texas Central Partners, which aims to build the nation's first bullet train between Texas' two biggest cities, announced Wednesday they'd raked in $75 million in private investments in the company's first round of fundraising. That money will allow the ambitious $10 billion project to move forward from feasibility studies to development planning."

http://www.chron.com/news/transportation/article/Texas-high-speed-rail-passes-major-milestone-with-6400089.php

Also, I think I saw something about this in The New York Times a couple of weeks ago.

Edited by Sky-guy
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  • 2 weeks later...

The article above mentions that eminent domain can be invoked to consolidate the path...

?

Huh.

I have read in this thread, the word privately funded, everyone talks about it being privately funded. Yet, these "investors" want to use a public tool for their private gain? Eminent domain for a public highway or public airport is one thing, but for a private railroad? I see a long expensive court battle brewing between land owners and these investors.

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The article above mentions that eminent domain can be invoked to consolidate the path...

?

Huh.

I have read in this thread, the word privately funded, everyone talks about it being privately funded. Yet, these "investors" want to use a public tool for their private gain? Eminent domain for a public highway or public airport is one thing, but for a private railroad? I see a long expensive court battle brewing between land owners and these investors.

 

Lets not be naive here. Educate yourself on Eminent Domain and what it entails. Oil and Gas use it. Utilities use it. Nobody ever gives a crap when they do it, but then all the sudden a railroad might use and then people have a problem.

Just be honest and say you haven't been reading the thread. I ask you look at it more thoroughly as this very question has been answered before. about 85-90% at the end of the day will be done through the private sector or through land swooping. The other 10% will be where eminent domain might be used to fill in the gaps. TCR isn't hiding this either. Robert Eckels (a former Judge btw) has stated that eminent domain would be used, but only as a last resort.

Finally while this is privately funded it still public transportation! Trains by their very nature are public transportation. Airlines are run by private companies (though subsidized by the government to some extent), but its still "public transport" because its not an individual means of transportation and instead or traveling with others.

 

So lets not just take a single buzzword(s) and then all the sudden rush to conclusions. Use your brain.

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Lets not be naive here. Educate yourself on Eminent Domain and what it entails. Oil and Gas use it. Utilities use it. Nobody ever gives a crap when they do it, but then all the sudden a railroad might use and then people have a problem.

Just be honest and say you haven't been reading the thread. I ask you look at it more thoroughly as this very question has been answered before. about 85-90% at the end of the day will be done through the private sector or through land swooping. The other 10% will be where eminent domain might be used to fill in the gaps. TCR isn't hiding this either. Robert Eckels (a former Judge btw) has stated that eminent domain would be used, but only as a last resort.

Finally while this is privately funded it still public transportation! Trains by their very nature are public transportation. Airlines are run by private companies (though subsidized by the government to some extent), but its still "public transport" because its not an individual means of transportation and instead or traveling with others.

 

So lets not just take a single buzzword(s) and then all the sudden rush to conclusions. Use your brain.

 

I also invite you to use your "brain". Landowners have a right to fight this in court. If you think they won't then you're being naïve. I predict a long expensive court battle. Please educate me as to why you think Texas land owners will just roll over?

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Also take a look at Texas Senate Bill 1601 which would strip firms developing high-speed rail projects from eminent domain authority. It's already been passed in the texas transpiration committee. People will fight this. Landowners, politicians, etc. Lets not be naïve here.

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I found a write up of the condemnation process in Texas

 http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/394.pdf

 

In Texas, railroads, utilities, and pipelines are all defined as public uses that a private company can exercise eminent domain to seize the land.  This makes sense because a 300 mile railroad is useless if the one house in between the two lines doesn't want to sell.

 

The process is:

1 - The entity has to have made a "bona fide offer" to purchase the property.

In this example, 90% of the landowners most likely will sell an easement or land to Texas Central.

There are always people who won't sell or will hold out for more money - that's why there are houses surrounded by apartment complexes.

 

2 - The entity must make a petition to the court to force the purchase.  Interestingly, it gets reviewed by people from the county:

"After the petition has been filed, the judge appoints three disinterested real property owners who reside in the county (giving preference to those agreed on between the parties) as special commissioners to assess damages."

This commission holds a hearing, which is informal but the property owner can represent himself, or have an attorney.  This is where the county can force the purchase of the land.

 

3 - The landowner can appeal to the judge that formed the commission, in the county court or district court, with a jury trial.  "This is the first time the question of the taking can be legally raised and determined"

I'm sure this can go as far up the court system as the landowner's attorney and checkbook want.

 

If you have an hour and a nice cup of coffee, this is a nicely written legal paper.  

 

All this drawn out legal proceedings mean that Texas Central will be very motivated to make a deal. 

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