Texas Central Railroad has signed a $1.6 billion contract with Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. and affiliate Mass. Electric Construction Co. for the installation of electrical systems needed to operate a high-speed train running from Dallas to Houston.

The Texas Central project is the first high-speed rail system in the United States. It will use $7.3 billion of materials from U.S. companies across 37 states and will have a direct cumulative economic impact of $36 billion over the next 25 years. The core electrical systems include critical safety and systems elements as well as signaling and communications equipment.

According to Texas Central, Kiewit and Mass. Electric have worked on some of the nation’s most high-profile rail transportation systems, including projects in Houston, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Miami, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

In other infrastructure news, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is