Proposed Burnet-Lampasas railway draws community backlash, petition
A proposed 26.9-mile rail line in Burnet and Lampasas counties is under review by the Surface Transportation Board. The project is receiving opposition from residents seeking to preserve property rights, value, and environmental interests. Photo source: Texas Materials Group Inc.
A proposed 26.9-mile rail line to transport aggregate materials between Burnet and Lampasas counties is facing growing opposition from local residents, who are petitioning against it over concerns about property rights, environmental impacts, and community disruption.
The line would run through the heart of Burnet County, potentially impacting property owners along the way.
“I’m opposed to this (railway),” Burnet County Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle told DailyTrib.com. “I think it is way too impactful on so many residents. The county doesn’t have the authority to stop this train, but we are going to try and amplify the voices of our constituents.”
The rail line would mostly run through Precinct 2, making it of special concern to Beierle. He said he is working with Texas state Rep. Ellen Troxclair (District 19) and U.S. Rep. John Carter (District 31) on a solution to the train trouble.
Texas Materials Group Inc. is seeking approval from the Surface Transportation Board to reconstruct 12.5 miles of abandoned rail and build an additional 14.4 miles of new track to transport aggregate materials from four quarries in the Burnet area. The project is currently under environmental review, with government agencies invited to submit concerns by April 3 as part of the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act process.
Beierle acknowledged the economic role the aggregate industry plays in Burnet County, providing materials such as rock and gravel for construction, and shared his opinion on how the railway could impact the area.
“There is definitely a balance between what the industry provides, but we have grown a lot, and there are more people here now,” he said. “I don’t think (the railway) would take trucks off the road, I think they’d just ramp up production.”
Petition
A petition started by Leander resident Stephanie Ahr on March 15 has garnered over 1,000 signatures. The petition urges regulatory agencies to reject Texas Materials Group’s proposal, citing concerns about property rights, safety risks, environmental damage, and declining property values.
“The proposed quarry train will run through properties that we own or lease, and we have not given consent for such an operation on our lands,” the petition states.
The petition also lists fears of accidents, derailments, and fires along with noise pollution and disruption to local ecosystems and highlights potential economic consequences, arguing that property values could decline due to proximity to the line and make it more difficult for homeowners to sell in the future.
“It will impact the well-being of our community,” the petition continues. “The introduction of a quarry train will severely disrupt our peaceful, rural lifestyle, including constant noise, vibrations, and the constant movement of a 4-diesel-engine train.”
According to Texas Materials, the railway is intended to improve efficiency in transporting aggregate materials from the Burnet area due to expected population growth over the next decade. The line would connect to the BNSF Railway near Lampasas and the Austin Western Railroad near Burnet.
If approved, 1.64 trains per day—each up to 120 railcars long—would operate along the route.
For more details on the petition or to sign it, visit Change.org.
2 thoughts on “Proposed Burnet-Lampasas railway draws community backlash, petition”
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Can it be worked so that a passenger train service can run on those tracks, say, on the weekends ? If passenger service can be worked into it, it might be more palatable, and a WIN for all..
Put it in a ballot, residents should have a right to have a say. I’d prefer to discourage the quarries from taking over and making our beautiful hill country ugly.