MILAN: Italian construction group Webuild announced Tuesday it had signed a $16-billion deal to build a high-speed railway line between Dallas and Houston in the southern US state of Texas.

It is one of the biggest contracts by the firm, formerly known as Salini Impregilo, and was signed with its US subsidiary Lane Construction and US company Texas Central.

Webuild said the project will bring to the United States technology used in Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains, and is aimed primarily at commuters who currently fly or drive between Dallas and Houston every week.

The new line promises to carry travellers at speeds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometres) per hour - faster than any other in the United States, the firm claims - with a journey of less than 90 minutes.

The deal, presented as one of the biggest single infrastructure projects in the United States in terms of value, follows an initial deal struck in 2018.

"The project promises to be a pivotal moment for sustainable mobility in the United States by having it join the ranks of countries that offer high-speed rail service, such as Japan, China, France and Italy," Webuild said.

It "will provide fast, safe and environmentally friendly travel, create thousands of jobs and give a major boost to the economy".