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May 20, 2015      5:05 PM

Updated: Backers of high-speed train and Sen. Schwertner do battle over budget rider to block project

Schwertner using budget process to block Dallas to Houston rail line that has so far not been blocked through other legislation

Editor’s note: As of 5:51pm, this story has been updated to include comment from Sen. Schwertner – SB

Budget negotiations between the House and Senate hit what some described as a major snag on Wednesday as conferees argued over a rider designed to block construction of a proposed bullet train connecting the Houston area and the DFW Metroplex.

Meantime the company behind the train, Texas Central Railway, launched a campaign to get the rider deleted from the budget.

The company has promised it will not take public dollars for the train, but it argued on its website that the rider by Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, would kill the project because it would keep TxDOT from doing things necessary for the development.

By Scott Braddock