CALGARY - A Texas judge has ruled against a landowner who is trying to prevent TransCanada Corp. from building an oil pipeline across her land.

Julia Trigg Crawford was trying to challenge TransCanada's status as a common carrier -- a label that would give the Calgary-based pipeline company (TSX:TRP) the right of eminent domain.

That would allow TransCanada to use part of Crawford's land for its purposes.

TransCanada spokesman James Millar says the ruling late Wednesday that the company is a common carrier reaffirms the company has, and continues to, follow state and federal laws and regulations.

Jane Kleeb of the group Bold Nebraska, which has been fighting TransCanada's pipeline plans, calls the ruling an affront to landowners' liberties.

TransCanada aims to have the US$2.3-billion southern leg of its Keystone XL pipeline between Oklahoma and the Texas coast up and running by early mid- to late-2013.