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The timetable for the highly anticipated bullet train between Dallas and Houston is uncertain after Texas Central — the company building the project — laid off 28 employees Friday because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Texas Central CEO Carlos Aguilar said in a news release that the project is facing delays because of the toll inflicted by the pandemic in Italy, Spain and Japan, nations where the company has partners.
“Unfortunately, like many other companies and organizations around the world, we have been forced to make hard decisions in an effort to make the best use of our current funding,” Aguilar said in a prepared statement. “Our core team of experts and planners remain actively engaged and prepared to move this project forward when we have our permits and the financial markets have stabilized.”
Aguilar said the company’s next step is to work with its partner organizations, as well as federal and state agencies, to finalize needed permits. Under the current timetable provided by the federal government, he said, permitting is expected to be done by the end of July.
“From an execution standpoint, the project is shovel-ready,” Aguilar said in the news release. “Once we receive our permit approval, our ability to begin construction will be contingent upon financial entities in the United States, Europe and Japan — all of which are dealing with urgent priorities generated by COVID-19 — completing their due diligence process.”
The bullet train is expected to carry passengers between Dallas and Houston in 90 minutes. Before the pandemic, groundbreaking was seen as possible this year, with completion expected by 2026.
The project is expected to create more than 17,000 jobs in the state, Aguilar said.