Texas Central announced an agreement on Monday, Aug. 14, with Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, construction and maintenance firm based in Irving, Texas, and The Lane Construction Corporation, based in Cheshire, Connecticut, according to statements from the three companies. The agreement marks the start of the next phase for the high speed railway. According to Texas Central, the three companies will be working together on refining and updating the project's construction planning and sequencing, scheduling and cost estimates, and other design and engineering activities for its infrastructure. Texas Central, a private company, plans to construct a 240-mile high speed rail route from Houston to Dallas. When completed, the route will provide riders a 90-minute trip from Houston to Dallas. "The ramp up on the design and engineering reflects continued progress for the high-speed train," Texas Central CEO Carlos Aguilar said in a statement. "This is a major milestone for a project that links two of the nation's largest commercial hubs and gives Texans a safe and reliable alternative over congested highway and air travel." After the development phase is complete and financing agreements are in place, Fluor and Lane would be the preferred design-builders of the rail route under Monday's agreement. However, according to Texas Central, Fluor and Lane have no ownership of the project and will not be involved in land acquisition. "This will be America's first true high-speed train, and we are eager to be part of the next generation of sustainable infrastructure," said Robert Alger, president and CEO of The Lane Construction Corporation, in a statement. "This project will create benefits for generations to come while providing an innovative transportation alternative for Texas commuters." No project timeline or final route has yet been provided by Texas Central, as both elements depend on an environmental impact statement by the Federal Railroad Administration. According to Texas Central, The Federal Railroad Administration is leading the preparation of the EIS, which is due out later this year. Video from ABC13