Work is moving ahead on the planned high-speed train between Dallas and Houston.
Texas Central, the private company behind the project, said it is essentially ready to begin construction.
"It is shovel ready without a doubt," CEO Carlos Aguilar said.
In offices in Dallas and Fort Worth, approximately 250 people are working on the project. Crews are also busy doing some early work in the field.
"The logistics involved are just monumental," Aguilar said.
Aguilar showed NBC 5 the newest conceptual renderings of the train system's three stations in Dallas, Grimes County and Houston. They are more than ideas from an artist's imagination.
"There's more than $3 million worth of engineering backing the designs," Aguilar said.
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The train itself is taking shape. It is the newest version of the famous Japanese Shinkansen bullet train.
Engineers are busy customizing the technology for Texas.
For instance, they've made adjustments to account for the heat of Dallas and the humidity of Houston. They've also made the seats more comfortable for passengers in the U.S.
Out in the field, crews are doing early work to prepare for construction of the viaducts and earthen berms that will support the tracks along its entire 240-mile route.
Newest Concepts for Texas High-Speed Rail Stations
They are taking hundreds of soil samples that will help engineers design structures that will remain sturdy for at least a century.
The project still faces hurdles. Texas Central is waiting on green lights from the federal government.
The company must also finish acquiring land and financing. And there are ongoing legal battles with opponents of the train. But Aguilar remains confident.
"I still can say we're absolutely sure it's going to happen," he said.
Texas Central hopes to break ground as soon as June of next year.
It would be approximately six years before the first passengers could take the high-speed train between Dallas and Houston.
The trip would take 90 minutes at a speed of nearly 200 mph.
