FORT WORTH -- Like the proverbial train coming down the track, the city of Fort Worth is bound to take part of Marty Marterella's property to build a second railroad line to accommodate a runway expansion at Alliance Airport, he knows.

But Marterella, 69, a retired Agriculture Department inspector, said the city's offers aren't compensating him for losing an estimated 0.17 acre of his property to place a second track behind his home.

The new 12-mile main line is needed to make room for the runway extension and also to improve the flow of freight into -- or around -- the BNSF Railway yard at Alliance.

"This is going to be my last home," Marterella said. "It seems to me like the city of Fort Worth is saying: 'We're Big Brother and we know what's best. You best get with it or get run over.'"

In Lonesome Dove Estates, where he lives, 17 properties are listed to have some land taken for the new railroad line. Overall, about 120 properties would be affected by the new line, about 30 of them with homes.

But city officials say that no homes will be condemned for the new track. So far, 20 to 30 offers have been made to property owners, city spokesman Jason Lamers said.

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