People have recently expressed concern that Texas Central has taken out loans from the Japanese Government that use the properties in Texas as collateral.
Texas Central is a company working to have a high-speed rail, like seen in Japan, connect Dallas, Texas to Houston, Texas.
As Texas Central continues to move forward with their plans they opted to secure a loan from the Japanese Government with the acquired property as a security interest.
CEO of Texas Central Carlos Aguilar states that this is, “customary practice in real property transactions.”
State Representative Cody Harris District 8 (R) expressed his concern that a default on that loan could allow Texas property to be owned by the Japanese Government.
CEO Aguilar calls the rumors unfounded and states that Texas Central Railroad is a Texas-based company and that it, “owns the property purchased for the state-of-the-art high-speed train project.”
Regardless, State Representative Cecil Bell, Jr. District 3 (R) expresses his concerns over Texas Central, “They also claim to be a Texas company, yet we now know that they deeded Texas properties to the Japanese Government. “
CEO Aguilar finished his statement with how Texas Central plans to continuing being open and collaborative with their discussions that take place with landowners that will be, “outlining the project’s benefits, listening to their concerns and answering their questions.”
Monday, September 21, 2020, gave Texas Central another step towards completion with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released the final Rule of Particular Applicability (RPA) and the Record of Decision (ROD) for Texas Central Railroad, LLC.
Aguilar proudly states, “This is the moment we have working towards. The release of the final RPA and ROD by the Federal Railroad Administration represents years of work by countless individuals, affirming a very thorough and careful federal regulatory process that will make the Texas Central Railroad the first high-speed rail system to be implemented in the United States.”
Kyle Workman, Chairman and President of Texans Against HSR quickly reminded people that this does not change the fact that Texas land has been put up as collateral for a loan from the Japanese government.
A release from Texans Against HSR points out that the FRA considers the project to be in “conceptual design” stage, and it does not grant any kind of construction approval or permit.