The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has begun bidding on a contract worth up to $3.5 billion to implement rail systems and supply the high-speed line under construction in the Central Valley. CHSRA issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) from bidders on November 26.
Following a pre-bid conference and small business workshop to be held in Sacramento on December 19, proposals are scheduled to be submitted by March 2, 2026.
The Track and Systems Construction Contract (TSCC) includes the supply of railway systems including overhead electricity, traction power supplies, signaling and train control, and communications including radio, fiber optic and CCTV systems.
CHSRA says the contract will cover 190.4 kilometers currently under construction, as well as extensions to Mercedes and Bakersfield that will complete the Central Valley Section (CVS). The contract will include nine separate packages with progress notices, allowing track installation and systems installation to proceed section by section as the civil engineering works are completed.
The preferred bidder will be responsible for the detailed design, with the exception of the track and overhead electrical system as CHSRA has awarded a separate contract for this work. The contract also includes all integration and operational testing.
Track construction materials, including rail, sleepers and ballast, will be provided by CHSRA, as well as masts and other electrification components including communication wires. Fiber optic cable will also be provided.
CHSRA says this hybrid delivery model will include cost and schedule management, as well as “partnership, collaboration, in-depth communication, stimulation of innovation and progressive development of construction packages”.
With track construction completed at its Kern County construction base at the south end of the CVS, CHSRA says the new facility will soon be ready to receive track and other materials by rail. This will enable the project to move quickly towards installing the systems once the contract is awarded.
“Bringing this contract to market today is a major milestone in our new delivery strategy: build faster, smarter and more economically,” says Ian Chowdhury, CEO of CHSRA.
An in-depth interview with Ian Chowdhury will appear in the December issue of IRJ.
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