Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said if the private sector wants the rail line, it should cover planning costs.

A yearslong effort to bring high-speed rail to Texas has recently shown signs of life, but state lawmakers have consistently put up roadblocks to keep it from happening.

The state’s booming population, congestion problems and billions of federal dollars on the table have officials eyeing ways to boost passenger rail.

With lingering skepticism about Texas Central’s ability to build a high-speed rail line, landowners along the route want the company to be more forthcoming about the project’s status.

A rural Texas landowner is battling Texas Central in a lawsuit that hinges on whether the company can forcibly take parcels needed to connect the state’s two biggest urban areas.

As private developer Texas Central moves ahead with plans to build what could be the country's first high-speed rail line, a handful of state lawmakers hope to try next year to give the state more authority over the project. But they admit there may not be the legislative appetite.