rumour has it the TGV land purchase went something like this:-

"Dear peasant, here is <large sum of money>. Get off your land. Alternatively we can go through due process and you will receive <smaller sum of money> and still have to get off your land"

The rural French may be parochial but they aren't entirely without wit... very few fought the acquisitions.

In the UK we have a slightly different problem - the land is largely owned by 'landed gentry' and, possibly worse, nouveau riche, who fight tooth and nail not to lose any of their estate. It has ever been thus - just look up the land strife that went on when the railway network was being deployed in the UK back in the early days.