(Source: Railway Age, February 7, 2022)
NEW YORK — The record in this case is voluminous, and reviewing it was an arduous task. Boiled down to its most basic expression, the issue is whether or not an entity claiming to be a “railroad company” has the authority to condemn land (or, at least, an easement across that land) to build the railroad that it intends to operate. In the matter at issue, there were many arguments presented on both sides, about policy concerning infrastructure generally, about railroads, about statutory construction, and even about the grammatical consequences of using a particular word in a specific statutory provision. While the results remain to be seen, the twists and turns of this case and the political realities in Texas today could spell the doom of not only the Texas Central project, but possibly for others contemplating using its model.
Full story: Railway Age