Texas Central has taken another step this week, signing a memorandum of understanding with the City of Houston. The agreement says Texas Central is committed to recruiting construction contractors, subcontractors and employees from the Houston-area job market for the construction of the high-speed rail project and its maintenance and operation. At least a third of the permanent jobs after construction will be created within the city, according to the agreement. Earlier this week Texas Central chose its preferred design-build firms for the roughly $10B project.

The agreement says the city and Texas Central will be collaborating in several areas:

• Providing environmental surveys, civil engineering and utility feasibility studies of certain city property and rights of way as part of the determination of the train’s final route.

• Coordinating with Harris County, METRO, the Gulf Coast Rail District and the Texas Department of Transportation to plan and design the Hempstead Corridor.

• Participating in the study and design of “efficient multi-modal connections” between the Houston station and the city’s major activity centers.

• Ensuring supportive service facilities for the bullet train are within the current or future city limits of Houston, subject to federal regulations and statutes.

• Developing a minority, women and small-business enterprises program in line with the city’s goals for professional services, development, construction, supplier and other related services.