In 2015, Texas Central Partners announced that it had secured funding to move forward with a proposed high-speed railroad between Houston and Dallas. The project, which according to the company’s website will be funded by private investors, has attracted many opponents and generated great controversy, particularly among rural land owners along the proposed route.
Opponents have presented numerous arguments against the bullet train. The rail line will bisect some tracts of land, making it more difficult for farmers and ranchers to operate. The train will disrupt families and communities. Some have complained that they will no longer be able to shoot feral hogs on their property for fear of hitting a passing train. And if/when Texas Central resorts to using eminent domain to acquire the needed land, property rights will be violated. While all of these objections are true, only the last one is relevant. If rural Texans wish to retain their land, they must defend property rights. And they must do so on principle.
In response to pressure from constituents, during the 2017 session Texas legislators introduced twenty bills that were aimed at stopping the rail project. Ostensibly, these bills were intended to protect the property rights of current land owners. Unfortunately, many of these bills would violate the property rights of Texas Central. This is hypocritical and self-defeating. We can’t defend property rights of some by violating the property rights of others. If we want to defend property rights, then we must defend everyone’s property rights, even when we don’t like what they intend to do with their property. If we do so, the bullet train ceases to be a political controversy.
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