The board of directors of Texas Central Partners, LLC (Texas Central), the private firm attempting to build a high-speed train connecting North Texas, the Brazos Valley and Houston, has named Carlos F. Aguilar as CEO. Former CEO Tim Keith becomes President.
The appointments “highlight the progress of Texas Central’s project from the development stage to the planning, engineering and construction phase,” Texas Central said. Over the past two years, Texas Central says its has been proceeding with the environmental, design, engineering, field studies and related work to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement as required by the Federal Railroad Administration and has engaged in “discussions with those FRA components responsible for safety and technology issues.”
Aguilar, formerly a senior vice president at CH2M Hill, a global engineering company, “has an extensive background in industrial and infrastructure work, and his appointment, effective Dec. 12, 2016, reflects the Texas project’s focus on the next phase of construction and operations.”
Aguilar, while at CH2M, served on its Management Committee and was Chairman of the CCPP Project Consortium for the Ichthys LNG Facility. Before that, he was President of BrightSource Construction Management and Senior Vice President at BrightSource Energy, developer of large-scale solar thermal power plants. He led the development, engineering, procurement and construction of the company’s portfolio of projects, including the development and construction of Ivanpah Solar Electricity Generating System, the largest solar thermal plant in the world.
In 12 years with Bechtel Corp., Aguilar held several leadership roles, including Principal Vice President, Bechtel Power Corp.; President, Bechtel Financing Services; and COO of United Infrastructure Company, Bechtel Group’s civil infrastructure investment company. He also was Regional Operations Manager, Chief Engineer and Environmental Officer for the private sector equity and financing arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group.
While serving as COO of United Infrastructure Company, Aguilar oversaw the initial financing of the first five-year program for the $30 billion, 30-year project to upgrade the London Underground’s Jubilee, Piccadilly and Northern Lines.
Aguilar, 58, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Duke University, a Master of Science degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Technological Economics from the University of Stirling in Scotland.
For the past 16 months, Tim Keith has been the Texas Central’s CEO, responsible for managing all aspects of the development phase of the project, including planning, government relations, public and business community engagement, regulatory processes and the raising of equity capital. He will continue as Texas Central President, reporting to Aguilar and will continue to focus on capital markets and financing, operations and external affairs.
Texas Central describes itself as a “private Texas-based company developing the nation’s first high-speed passenger train connecting North Texas and Houston, with a midway stop in the Brazos Valley. The company’s market-led approach is backed by private investors, not government grants, a new business model for infrastructure projects.”