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4/9/2020
More than two dozen Texas state lawmakers are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to end a private company's work on a Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line that would pass through the Brazos Valley.
In a letter to USDOT officials, the state representatives claim that Texas Central Partners, the company that has proposed the rail line, "simply does not have the financial resources required or expertise employed to continue with this project," The Eagle news outlet reported yesterday.
"To proceed otherwise would be an inexcusable waste of taxpayer dollars and jeopardizes the integrity of the rule-making process at the Federal Railroad Administration," the letter stated, according to the newspaper.
Texas Central's proposed high-speed rail project is currently under review at the FRA. Last month, Texas Central officials said they expect to receive FRA approval this summer for the line's construction, although the project's timeline could be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas Central then announced that it laid off 28 employees, citing the outbreak. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Aguilar said the project would be delayed because of pandemic-related issues with its partners in Italy, Spain and Japan, The Eagle reported.