Texas Central Partners announced Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 6, the replacement of Tim Keith as CEO, signifying the company's move from the development stage to the planning, engineering and construction phase. According to a statement, Carlos Aguilar will assume the role of CEO on Dec. 12 while Keith will serve as president under Aguilar. Texas Central, a private company, plans to construct a high speed rail route from Houston to Dallas. Construction is expected to begin in 2018, officials said. When completed, the route will provide riders a 90-minute trip from Houston to Dallas. Aguilar previously served as senior vice president of CH2M Hill, a global engineering company. "Carlos brings a significant mix of construction management and engineering experience, making him an ideal fit for our team as we move forward on this transformational project,” said Richard Lawless, chairman of the Texas Central board of directors, in a statement. Keith has led the company as CEO for the last 16 months. In his new role, he said he will focus on fundraising and external affairs. "I’m proud to be part of this innovative project with the tremendous progress we have made and look forward to partnering with Carlos and using his experience to accelerate the pace of the overall project development," Keith said in a statement. An environmental impact study for the proposed Houston-to-Dallas route will be completed in January.