Aggregate company proposes railway through Burnet County
A proposed 26.9-mile rail line through Burnet and Lampasas counties is under review by the Surface Transportation Board. The Texas Materials Group project would transport aggregate materials from local quarries. Texas Materials Group image
A proposed 26.9-mile rail line in Burnet and Lampasas counties to transport aggregate material between quarries is under federal review. Local officials recently learned of the project and want more information before taking action.
Texas Materials Group Inc., a large aggregate mining company, is seeking approval from the Surface Transportation Board to reconstruct 12.5 miles of rail on a previously abandoned right-of-way and build 14.4 miles of new track to transport materials from four quarries in the Burnet area.
“According to Texas Materials, this new route is needed because the volumes of aggregate being shipped from the Burnet-area quarries are expected to increase over the next 10 years,” reads an excerpt from a March 4 letter from the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis addressed to federal, state, and local officials representing Burnet and Lampasas counties. (View the letter in full below.)
The analysis office is currently conducting an environmental review of Texas Materials’ request under the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. It is requesting comments and concerns from local agencies by April 3 to help determine the “scope and level of environmental review.”
According to federal office’s letter, Texas Materials expects trains would operate 1.64 times a day and consist of up to 120 railcars and four locomotives with a total train length of approximately 6,400 feet.
The proposed line would extend from the Austin Western Railroad near Burnet and run north through Precinct 2 in Burnet County, connecting to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway near Lampasas. It would travel roughly parallel to U.S. 281 on the east side.
LOCAL OFFICIALS’ RESPONSE
The STB’s Office of Environmental Analysis notified dozens of area representatives, agencies, and executives regarding the proposed railway, including the Burnet County Commissioners Court.
County officials are still gathering information about the project and its potential impact on property owners.
Commissioner Damon Beierle, who represents Precinct 2 where the line would go, plans to gather feedback from nearby residents.
“I don’t (have an opinion) yet. I’m going to talk to affected landowners,” he said. “A lot of those rights-of-way have been fenced off, so I’m going to talk to them first and see where they’re at.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery contacted the Capital Area Council of Governments and noted the project could come as a shock to some landowners since the existing railway has been inactive for decades.
“I have asked CAPCOG to send us a list of affected property owners,” he said. “It’s hard to overlay (the map provided) in our GIS (Geographical Information System), so I’ve requested that they develop something more clearly identifying exactly where it’s going.”
4 thoughts on “Aggregate company proposes railway through Burnet County”
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I think the most important thing to comprehend here is not the train itself or it’s right of ways through private property per se, but rather the sheer volume of excavation, explosion, crushing, defacing, and damage to the land itself. I have watched these quarries grow all over central Texas for decades. You cannot ever repair or replace the lasting effects of excavation. It is ugly , polluting and destructive. Period. This is grave matter of concern…
It’s a shame to see the ugly quarries that keep opening up and destroying the beautiful Hill Country views with dust and trucks. Now this railroad will add to it.
Actually. a train up to 120 cars long once a day would take up to 300 or more heavy trucks off Central Texas roads. It would keep highways in better shape and reduce truck traffic.
What would prevent the railroads from running more than 120 cars a day?