DALLAS — A high-speed rail system connecting Dallas and Houston is one step closer to reality. 

What You Need To Know

  • Texas Central and Webuild Group have signed a $16 billion deal to lead the construction of a high-speed railway

  • The train will link Dallas and Houston in 90 minutes with a train every 30 minutes at peak times

  • Texas Central expects to start constuction this year and open it up to passengers by 2026

Texas Central, the developers behind the project and Webuild Group have signed a final agreement worth $16 billion to lead the construction of a high-speed railway between Dallas and Houston. There will be a midway stop in the Brazos Valley area. Departures will be every 30 minutes during peak hours and every hour during off-peak hours. 

The project promises fast, safe, and environmentally friendly travel as well as thousands of jobs and a major boost to the economy. It is one of the single biggest infrastructure investments of its kind in the United States and will be the first true high-speed rail service in the country. 

“We are excited to be part of this historical project that will bring high-speed rail to the United States,” said Mark Schiller, President and CEO of The Lane Construction Corporation. “It’s a true milestone for our country’s sustainable transportation infrastructure, and we are enthusiastic to bring 130 years of experience and expertise to the table as the contractor of choice to build it.” 

 

“We are truly honored to have been chosen by Texas Central, that relies on our worldwide expertise to bring sustainable mobility to the country with the first true ‘end-to-end’ high-speed railway,” said Pietro Salini, CEO of the Webuild Group. “Being part of such a challenging project as leader of the design and construction of the railway is a unique experience that we are extremely proud of. This is a wonderful opportunity to further focus our presence in the U.S., our biggest single market, together with Lane, the company building first class transport infrastructure for the country for the past 130 years”. 

According to the press release, Webuild and Lane Construction Corporation will take care of all the heavy construction for the project, designing and building all 236 miles of the alignment, the entire track system, nearly half of it on viaduct. 

Texas Central says the project will create an estimated 17,000 jobs during construction and more than 1,500 direct permanent jobs when the train is fully operational.

According to its website, Texas Central expects to break ground this year and will be fully operational for commercial service by 2026.