Passenger Trains > Texas Central Awards $16B Construction Contract

Italian construction compay Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo) and its US subsidiary
Lane Construction have signed a final agreement to build the 236 mile Texas Central
high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston.  The contract is valued at $16B.
From today's Global Construction Review:
https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/webuild-lane-sign-16bn-contract-build-high-speed-r/

Looks like someone is serious. 

I hope that Texas Central will not get any further obstructions placed in its way, so that the project will have a fair chance to succeed.

Our President and Mayor Pete should like this.  It will take a lot of solar and windmills to power this.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks like someone is serious. 
>
> I hope that Texas Central will not get any further
> obstructions placed in its way, so that the
> project will have a fair chance to succeed.

So called environmental impacts are miniscule compared to the impacts from the bird slice and dice windmills being built all over the state and acre upon acre solar panels taking up range and farm land.

Thank goodness, there are no mountains to contend with--as in California (North of LA)

However, Texas will be in the same boat as CHSR -- nobody has any actual experience
building high-speed rail in the U.S,

So, expect cost overruns - and very long completion dates.
(will prob. take 3-5 years just to do the environmental impact studies -- plus all the objections
and court cases which are sure to come.)

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank goodness, there are no mountains to contend
> with--as in California (North of LA)
>
> However, Texas will be in the same boat as CHSR --
> nobody has any actual experience
> building high-speed rail in the U.S,
>
> So, expect cost overruns - and very long
> completion dates.
> (will prob. take 3-5 years just to do the
> environmental impact studies -- plus all the
> objections
> and court cases which are sure to come.)

All of the EIS has been completed, all of the lawsuits are done and resolved, issues with the FRA has been resolved. They can start turning dirt tomorrow. 

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, expect cost overruns - and very long
> completion dates.
> (will prob. take 3-5 years just to do the
> environmental impact studies -- plus all the
> objections
> and court cases which are sure to come.)

Environmental Impact Statement - done! :

EIS Advances Texas High-Speed Train Project - Texas Central

I think a lot of court cases have already been adjudicated.

Macster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ronald321 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thank goodness, there are no mountains to
> contend
> > with--as in California (North of LA)
> >
> > However, Texas will be in the same boat as CHSR
> --
> > nobody has any actual experience
> > building high-speed rail in the U.S,
> >
> > So, expect cost overruns - and very long
> > completion dates.
> > (will prob. take 3-5 years just to do the
> > environmental impact studies -- plus all the
> > objections
> > and court cases which are sure to come.)
>
> All of the EIS has been completed, all of the
> lawsuits are done and resolved, issues with the
> FRA has been resolved. They can start turning dirt
> tomorrow. 

Lawsuits are NEVER all done and resolved. New ones can be filed on a whim and often are.

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank goodness, there are no mountains to contend
> with--as in California (North of LA)
>
> However, Texas will be in the same boat as CHSR --
> nobody has any actual experience
> building high-speed rail in the U.S,
>
> So, expect cost overruns - and very long
> completion dates.
> (will prob. take 3-5 years just to do the
> environmental impact studies -- plus all the
> objections
> and court cases which are sure to come.)

Brightline seems to be building its high speed line with little difficulty.

Cumbresfan Wrote:
----------------------------------------------------
> So called environmental impacts are miniscule compared to the impacts from the bird slice and dice windmills being built all over the state and acre upon acre solar panels taking up range and farm land.

Do you think there's much impact to wildlife when they tear off an entire mountaintop and shove it into the surrounding valleys?

This area is one of the biggest renewable energy areas in the US and no mountain tops have been ripped off.
Solar panels are in desert, nor farmland, and on roofs, like mine.
Oh, And there's some 800 good jobs created...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

choodude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cumbresfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> --
> > So called environmental impacts are miniscule
> compared to the impacts from the bird slice and
> dice windmills being built all over the state and
> acre upon acre solar panels taking up range and
> farm land.
>
> Do you think there's much impact to wildlife when
> they tear off an entire mountaintop and shove it
> into the surrounding valleys?

Tear off a mountain top? The hell? That's a new one. 

Macster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> choodude Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Cumbresfan Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > --
> > > So called environmental impacts are miniscule
> > compared to the impacts from the bird slice and
> > dice windmills being built all over the state
> and
> > acre upon acre solar panels taking up range and
> > farm land.
> >
> > Do you think there's much impact to wildlife
> when
> > they tear off an entire mountaintop and shove
> it
> > into the surrounding valleys?
>
> Tear off a mountain top? The hell? That's a new
> one. 


Actually it's pretty old:

https://www.google.com/search?q=coal+mining+mountaintop+removal&oq=cpal+mining+mountain&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i13j0i13i30j0i5i13i30j0i8i13i30.10020j1j7&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Macster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> choodude Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Cumbresfan Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > --
> > > So called environmental impacts are miniscule
> > compared to the impacts from the bird slice and
> > dice windmills being built all over the state
> and
> > acre upon acre solar panels taking up range and
> > farm land.
> >
> > Do you think there's much impact to wildlife
> when
> > they tear off an entire mountaintop and shove
> it
> > into the surrounding valleys?
>
> Tear off a mountain top? The hell? That's a new
> one. 

No no that’s not a new one. Not at all. 

FYI, “mountaintop removal” is a widely used phrase, originally introduced by the industry itself, to describe what has become a common practice in Appalachian mining. Picture an open pit mine,  but in an area where the target is really shallow (a few hundred feet, say) under a hill. Instead of digging down to get the coal, you go to the top of the hill, remove the overburden, and push it into what had been the next Valley on either side of the hill. Then go get your coal bed.  Then skedaddle and leave all the waste behind. 

It it is fantastically destructive of all kinds on natural resources beyond the limits of the mine itself—especially water quality in the streams surrounding the area, and groundwater that people may be using to drink. 

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank goodness, there are no mountains to contend
> with--as in California (North of LA)
>
> However, Texas will be in the same boat as CHSR --
> nobody has any actual experience
> building high-speed rail in the U.S,
>
> So, expect cost overruns - and very long
> completion dates.
> (will prob. take 3-5 years just to do the
> environmental impact studies -- plus all the
> objections
> and court cases which are sure to come.)

I seriously doubt that'll happen Ronald, from what I heard about Texas Central, like Brightline, is actually properly managed!