Texas Central names Renfe early operator of Dallas-Houston bullet train

Texas Central, developers of the proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed train, has signed a contract with Renfe to be the early operator for the system.

As the early operator, Renfe will work with Texas Central on the design and development of the commercial aspects of the high-speed rail system. Renfe will provide expertise and supporting senior decision-makers, leveraging existing capabilities within Texas Central's organization, Texas Central officials said in a press release.

Renfe will also provide advisory and consulting services to Texas Central on final design, execution, construction, testing and commissioning of civil, station and buildings, installation, core systems and operations and maintenance technology and plans and processes, as well as all commercial aspects of the high-speed rail system.

Based in Spain, Renfe is one of the world's major railway operators, managing 5,000 trains daily on 7,500 miles of track.

"Renfe has an established reputation for excellence in railroad operations in Spain and across the world," said Texas Central Chief Executive Officer Carlos Aguilar. "With their decades of expertise, they were a natural fit to join our team of best-in-class global experts setting the foundation for this new jobs-creating industry we are bringing to Texas."

Texas Central press release did not reveal the financial value of the Renfe contract. But the announcement is the latest milestone for the investor-led project. It comes just a couple of weeks after Texas Central announced it named the multinational firm Webuild to lead the civil construction consortium that will build the passenger line.

Webuild will be responsible for all work up to the top of the rail, including viaducts, embankments and drainage.