East Central Texas News

Congressman Jake Ellzey and State Representative Cody Harris released the following statement after Amtrak and Texas Central announced earlier today that they would evaluate a potential partnership to further study the Texas high-speed rail project.

"We are a long way from Congress and the Federal Government authorizing the supposed deal between Amtrak and Texas Central to use eminent domain to take Texans' property,” said Ellzey. “Land cannot be taken, homes destroyed, and lives disrupted for a private company's boondoggle. While in Congress, I will never give in when it comes to opposing private interests using eminent domain for projects like this. I will continue to work with my fellow Texans to ensure private property rights are held, and our farmland is kept intact."

Ellzey Continued, “Over the coming weeks, my office will be in contact with Amtrak for a detailed explanation of the status of the high-speed rail project and how they view the execution of this project would impact the folks of my district and all of rural Texas.”

“Like clockwork, Texas Central is proving what I have been saying for the last year or more: they cannot exist without taxpayer money coming from Washington DC,” said Harris. “So, the high-speed rail that doesn’t have a board of directors, doesn’t have it’s own real CEO, doesn’t have any employees or even its own telephone number, is trying to partner with another railroad that lost over $2 Billion last year. Amtrak and Texas Central seem like perfect bedfellows as they’ll both cost taxpayers billions more than they‘ll bring in. I’ll continue to do everything possible to fight this disastrous and failed idea.” 

Original source can be found here.