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8/29/2025
The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA) board yesterday approved the issuance of invitations for bids for the provision of high-speed rail track and other required system components. The materials will be used to install the nation’s first electrified high-speed track and systems within the next year.
"This procurement will not only accelerate construction of high-speed track, but by purchasing directly from American manufacturers, we will deliver significant savings to the state," said CHSRA CEO Ian Choudri in a press release.
American manufacturers can competitively bid in six separate procurements, just as authority nears completion of its southern railhead project in Kern County. This 150-acre rail staging yard located at the southernmost end of the state's Central Valley segment will allow freight trains to receive and deploy the materials directly to the point of installation along the initial 119-mile alignment. Materials needed to lay track along the 119-mile segment will be 100% state funded and include several commodities, including rail, ties, overhead contact system poles, fiber optic cable and ballast, with a total approved cost of $507 million spread over multiple anticipated contract awards.
These components are necessary for high-speed rail installation and operations, with lead times ranging from six to 12 months, CHSRA officials said. For each materials contract, a notice to proceed (NTP) will be issued in multiple stages, including:• NTP 1: supply of materials for use in the 119-mile section (Madera to Poplar Avenue). NTP 1 is 100% state funded; and • NTP 2 and 3 are optional, with the authority able to later approve purchase of additional materials for future extensions. NTP 2 and 3 may be a blend of state and federal funding. All materials will be newly manufactured goods and compliant with the Buy America and the Build America, Buy America Acts.
For more information on the procurement, including anticipated schedule, click here.