Days after being granted the Rule of Particular Applicability by the Federal Railway Administration, Texas Central announced Sept. 13 having signed a design-build agreement with civil engineering firms Salini Impregilo and Lane Construction Company to build the high-speed train. Lane Construction is the U.S. subsidiary of Salini.

According to a Sept. 13 news release from Texas Central, the agreement means Salini-Lane will design and construct an estimated $14 billion of civil works, which includes the viaduct—which elevates the track across land—and embankment sections along the Houston-to-Dallas route, the track system, and all buildings and services that will house maintenance and other rail system equipment along the route.

“This agreement brings us one step closer to beginning construction of the civil infrastructure segments of the project,” Texas Central CEO Carlos Aguilar said in the release. “Salini-Lane’s unmatched track record with rail infrastructure, and very specifically its world-class high-speed rail expertise across the globe, will be central to the completion of America’s first end-to-end high-speed rail system.”

Texas Central announced in October 2018 a limited-notice-to-proceed agreement had been made with Salini Impregilo, since which time Salini-Lane has continued its design and planning efforts for the rail infrastructure, according to a statement from Texas Central.