The Texas Central project, which will connect Houston and Dallas with a high-speed rail line, is a step closer to construction with the signing of the final $16-billion agreement with its design-build contractor Webuild Group and its U.S. subsidiary Lane Construction.
The entities expect financial closure of the agreement to occur in the upcoming months with construction to begin after.
“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”.
Webuild and Lane were named by Texas Central to lead the civil construction consortium for the project in October 2018, under Webuild’s former name, Salini Impregilo. The companies signed a design-build contract in September 2019 that authorized a set of early works while the contractors continued to work on the design of the project.
Webuild explains the final agreement consolidates four years of work and analysis to bring the project to the advanced design stage, while also updating the value of the preliminary agreement.
Webuild and Lane will oversee the civil engineering works, which entails the design and construction of the 236 miles of the alignment, the track system, the viaducts, upon which almost half of the project will be constructed, as well as the buildings and services for maintenance and other equipment, industrial buildings, train depots and facilities.
“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.”
The Dallas to Houston line is based on Central Japan Railway’s Tokaido Shinkansen system and is expected to connect travelers between the cities in less than 90 minutes when it opens for service in 2026. The route calls for a single stop in the Brazos Valley near Texas A&M University.
